Funds siphoned off through crimes, accounting manipulation: adviser

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said a substantial amount of money had been siphoned off from Bangladesh over the past 15 years, partly through blatant financial crimes and deliberate accounting manipulation.

Speaking at an event in Dhaka today, he said some incidents amounted to outright financial crimes, comparable to robbery in broad daylight, while a significant portion of the outflow was facilitated by the misuse of professional accounting expertise.

“These were not simple mistakes or technical lapses,” he said, adding that financial records were intentionally distorted to conceal irregularities and mislead stakeholders.

He made the remarks at the inaugural session of the SAFA International Conference on “Next Generation Profession: Converging Ethical AI and Sustainability Reporting,” organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh at Le Méridien Dhaka.

The adviser stressed that restoring trust and integrity in financial governance would require strong professional accountability and collective vigilance, particularly from accountants and financial professionals.

He urged practitioners to uphold ethical standards and ensure that such abuses do not recur, underscoring the critical role of transparency and professional responsibility in safeguarding the country’s financial system.