Sub: Audit and assurance practice in Bangladesh

Introduction:

Executive Summary
The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission and the Institute of
CharteredAccountants of Bangladesh have demonstrated a keen interest in
implementing InternationalAccounting Standards (IAS) and International
Standards on Auditing (ISA) to upgrade thequality of corporate financial
reporting. Various steps have already been taken, however, furtherresults will
require the design and implementation of a comprehensive action plan
onaccountancy reform. This report includes policy recommendations, which
may be used as inputsfor such an action plan.
This report provides an assessment of accounting and auditing practices within
the broadercontext of the Bangladesh institutional framework and capacity
needed to ensure the quality ofcorporate financial reporting. The accounting and
auditing practices in Bangladesh suffer frominstitutional weaknesses in
regulation, compliance, and enforcement of standards and rules. Thepreparation
of financial statements and conduct of audits, in many cases, are not consistent
withinternationally acceptable standards and practices.
Better-qualified graduates generally do not join the accounting profession
because it is notviewed as a stepping-stone to a rewarding and prestigious
career. The out-of-date legalrequirements, widespread noncompliance with
accounting and auditing standards, ineffectiveenforcement mechanism, poor
quality accounting education and training, and inadequateadherence to
professional ethics have contributed to the weakness of the financial
reportingregime.
The policy recommendations provided in this report focus on improving
statutory framework,strengthening enforcement mechanisms, upgrading
professional education and training, andenhancing capacity of regulatory and
professional bodies. A major recommendation is that anindependent oversight
bodyFinancial Reporting Councilshould be established. TheFinancial
Reporting Council will be responsible for adoption, monitoring, and

enforcement ofIAS and ISA with respect to financial reporting by the publicinterest entities. In addition,arrangements will need to be made to develop a
simplified financial reporting framework forsmall-andmedium-sizeenterprises.

* source of data
* Methodology
* Table of content
Prospect of audit in Bangladesh:

1. This report provides a systematic assessment of strengths and weaknesses of

accounting and auditing practices in Bangladesh. The assessment was carried
out as a part of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
joint initiative on Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC).
This initiative appraised actual practices and analyzed the efficacy of the
monitoring and enforcement mechanism for formal standards, rules, and
regulations for accounting, auditing, and corporate financial reporting. National
specialists used a diagnostic template developed by the World Bank to collect
data for the assessment. This data was complemented by the findings of a due
diligence exercise conducted by Bank staff, based on a series of meetings with
key stakeholders.
2. Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and
demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains poor. The country has a population
of about 133 million within a geographic boundary of 143,998 square
kilometers (56,160 square miles). Although more than half of the gross
domestic product (GDP) is generated through the service sector, nearly twothirds of the population are employed in agriculture. Major impediments to
growth include frequent natural disasters, inefficient state-owned enterprises,
inadequate infrastructure, weak private and foreign investments, and slow
implementation of economic reforms. Weak national financial architecture,
inadequate transparency and accountability, and a dearth of appropriate policy

interventions are among the impediments cited for the countrys slow economic
development.
II. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
A. Statutory Framework

3. The Companies Act 1994 provides basic requirements for accounting

and reporting applicable to all companies incorporated in Bangladesh. The
Companies Act 1994, which replaced the Companies Act 1913, provides the
requirements for preparation and publication of financial statements,
disclosures, and auditing, among other provisions. However, in most cases, the
Act lacks clarity with regard to statutory requirements on disclosures in the
financial statements of the incorporated companies. The formats for
presentation of financial statements and requirements on disclosures prescribed
in the Act need updating or removing. Moreover, some accounting requirements
prescribed by the Act are incompatible with International Accounting Standards
(IAS).1 For example, contrary to IAS, the Companies Act requires capitalization
of gains and losses arising from changes in foreign exchange rates under all
circumstances. Inconsistencies between IAS and the Companies Act need to be
eliminated. The committee, which has been formed by the Government for
updating the Companies Act, should take it into consideration.
4. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulates financial
reporting practices of listed companies. Listed companies are required to
comply with SEC accounting
and disclosure requirements, despite inconsistencies with the requirements of
the Companies Act 1994. The SEC, in protecting investor interests, issues
various rules that apply to listed companies, including accounting and auditing
requirements that, according to SEC Ordinance 1969 (Provision 2CC),
supersede requirements set by the Companies Act. The October 1997 SEC rule
required listed companies to follow IAS and International Standards on
Auditing (ISA) as adopted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of
Bangladesh (ICAB).2 Since the October 1997 SEC rule did not mandate full
compliance with all IAS and ISA, the SEC revised the requirements on
accounting and auditing by listed companies. In February 2000, the SEC issued
a new rule on the format of audit reports specifying that auditors will verify that

the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IAS and the
audit has been carried out in accordance with ISA. The SEC claims that its
February 2000 rule on audit reports has mandated full compliance with IAS,
although this requirement does not appear to have the force of law. To ensure
compliance and clarify its position, the SEC should issue a rule for mandatory
observance of IAS in preparing statutory financial statements.
5. The Bank Companies Act 1991 authorizes the Bangladesh Bank to
regulate financial reporting by banks.3 The accounting and auditing
requirements set by the Bank Companies Act 1991 are in addition to the
requirements set by Companies Act 1994. The Bank Companies Act prescribes
the format of balance sheet and income statement, including disclosure
requirements that each bank must follow for regulatory reporting to the Banking
Inspection Department of the Bangladesh Bank. The same accounting and
financial reporting rules are required to be followed by banks in preparing
financial statements for external users. The Bank Companies Act empowered
the Bangladesh Bank to approve appointment of bank auditors. In practice, the
Bangladesh Bank maintains a list of approved auditors. The list contains both
large and small audit firms.
6. The Chief Controller of Insurance under the Insurance Act 1938
regulates the financial reporting practices of insurance companies.
Financial statements must comply with formats provided in the Insurance Act,
but the accounting and disclosure rules prescribed by the Act are, in most cases,
not consistent with IAS accounting principles. The Insurance Act specifies that
insurance companies annual audited financial statements should be submitted
to the Chief Controller of Insurance within six months from the balance sheet
date.
7. Tax laws influence presentation and disclosure in general-purpose
financial statements. Taxation authorities do not accept some IAS-compatible
accounting treatments for determining taxable profit, for example, recognizing
finance leases, prior period adjustments, and expensing of pre-operation costs.
Although there is no legal requirement on observance of tax accounting rules in
external financial reporting, those who prepare and audit financial statements
generally ensure that the accounting treatments that are acceptable to the
taxation authorities are used not only for tax reporting purposes but also for
preparing the general-purpose financial statements.

8. All companies registered under the Companies Act 1994 or its

predecessor Companies Act 1913, must prepare and present annual
audited financial statements. The directors of limited companiesboth
private and publicare responsible for filing annual audited financial
statements with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies within 30 days of the
annual general meeting. An annual general meeting should be held within 15
months of the previous annual general meeting. However, it is possible to get
permission from the Registrar for a three-month extension. Listed companies
financial statements are required to be audited within 120 days of the end of
accounting period. The Companies Act 1994 allows both sole practitioners and
partnership firms to act as auditors. However, according to SEC rules, only
partnership firms with seven-years experience in professional practice are
allowed to audit listed companies. The SEC requires auditor rotation once every
three years, except where the company declares dividends at a rate prescribed
by the SEC, in which case the same auditor can continue in office. The practice
of linking auditor rotation with the companys dividend declaration is highly
unusual, and it is not clear what purpose it serves.
9. Companies Act provisions are not fully in line with IAS requirements on
preparing consolidated financial statements. The Companies Act 1994
governs group accounting in Bangladesh, defining holding and subsidiary
company relationships and providing requirements on financial reporting of
holding companies by broadly prescribing certain disclosures regarding group
activities and profit and loss status of subsidiaries. The Companies Act requires
that a set of financial statements for each subsidiary, together with some
additional statements be annexed to the holding companys balance sheet. This
practice, which pre-dates the Companies Act 1994, is inconsistent with
generally accepted accounting principles regarding preparation of consolidated
financial statements and with IAS.
10. The Companies Act supports long-term employment of an auditor. The
company auditor, according to the Companies Act 1994, is appointed through a
resolution passed at the annual general meeting of the shareholders. Another
provision in the Act appears to guarantee lifetime appointments for auditors,
unless they are proven dishonest or unqualified, or if they resign. This provision
is not in the interest of shareholders who should be able to change auditors
freely.

B. The Profession

11. The accountancy profession is regulated by the Institute of Chartered

Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB). The ICAB was established in 1973 by a
Presidential Order, which links ICAB with the Ministry of Commerce from
which ICAB receives annual grants. This professional body was modeled on the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and acts as both an
examining body for awarding chartered accountant certification and the
licensing authority for members engaged in public auditing practice. The ICAB
began with 78 members who had professional qualifications from the United
Kingdom and Pakistan. In February 2003, membership reached 700, out of
which 260 are in public practice in Bangladesh, with most of the remaining
members working in industry and government. Some members work and live
abroad. An elected Council, whose members hold a three-year term, is in charge
of overall management of the Institute. The ICAB president, who is also the
chief executive officer, is elected to a one-year term by the Council. The
Council is assisted by various committees of volunteer members. The ICAB is a
member of the International Federation of

Accountants (IFAC), South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), and

Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants (CAPA).
12. The ICAB capacity needs to be strengthened. ICAB does not have the
capacity to adequately function as an effective professional accountancy body.
It has not yet implemented adequate quality assurance arrangements with
respect to performance of its members. The ICAB does not provide sufficient
guidance to its members on how to improve the quality of audits. Its
Investigation and Disciplinary Committee is not proactive with respect to
disciplining errant public practitioners. Moreover, ICAB has no effective
measures to ensure that its members maintain current professional standards
through continuous professional development.
13. Despite the presence of accounting firms associated with Big Four
international networks, some local audit firms have significant market
share. There are 185 audit service providersfirms and sole practitioners

including the local associates of international network accounting firms. The

Big Four internationally associated firms audit almost all the local
subsidiaries/affiliates of foreign companies, most of the banks and other
financial institutions, and large nongovernmental organizations. The clients of
local firms and sole practitioners include a significant number of listed
companies, many public sector enterprises, as well as small- and medium-size
business entities.
14. The professional accountants code of ethics needs updating. The ICAB
has a code of professional conduct for both of its practicing and nonpracticing
members. This code focuses on the characteristics of objectivity, neutrality,
knowledge, and skills. The code as adopted by the ICAB needs updating in line
with the IFAC Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants issued in November
2001.
15. The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh
(ICMAB) is actively involved in training and related activities. The ICMAB
was established under the Cost and Management Accountants Ordinance (1977)
and is attached to the Ministry of Commerce. The main focus of ICMAB
activities is to educate and train qualified and student members to develop their
knowledge, skills, and competence in cost and management accounting. The
total number of members of the ICMAB was 700 in mid-June 2003. The
ICMAB training curriculum includes topics relating to IAS, but capacity is
constrained by the shortage of well-trained instructors and resources, leaving
ICMAB unable to deliver high-quality training programs on the practical
application of international standards.
C. Professional Education and Training.
16. Generally, the best students are not attracted to the accountancy
profession. A bachelors degree in any discipline is the prerequisite for entering
a professional accountancy training program prior to taking the qualification
examinations. The curriculum at higher education institutions does not include
all necessary building blocks for students entering the accountancy profession.
Also, there is a lack of adequate number of teachers to teach practical
application of IAS and ISA. The better-educated students are not attracted to the
profession, which suffers from a poor image, largely because of the inadequate
quality of professional training. Also, without sufficient command of the
English language, students are handicapped

since the training materials are in English. The ICAB needs to develop a
strategy for attracting high-quality students to the profession.
17. Professional education and training are not adequate for future
accountants skills development. The quality of higher education suffers from
the lack of modern curriculum and skilled instruction. Accounting courses in the
bachelors degree program do not include practical application of national
and/or international accounting and auditing standards. Many accounting
teachers lack the experience and adequate knowledge to teach either the
theoretical or practical aspects of IAS and ISA. Undergraduate-level teaching in
accounting and auditing mainly focuses on elementary topics and application of
some basic standards. The outdated curriculum and lack of appropriate literature
leaves students without an applicable background for modern accounting and
auditing. The academic programs do not challenge students to improve critical
thinking.
18. The training programs offered by the ICAB during students
prequalification period appear to be inadequate. The ICAB lacks capacity
for providing training in line with the IFAC-proposed International Education
Standards for Professional Accountants. Students are not receiving adequate
development in technical and functional skills, organizational and business
management skills, interpersonal and communication skills, and skills in
forming professional judgments. In addition to lacking detailed knowledge in
the practical aspects of IAS and ISA, many instructors in ICAB-administered
prequalification classes lack adequate knowledge of the IFAC Code of Ethics
for Professional Accountants. In fact, professional ethics for accountants is not
taught in prequalification educational programs, as required by the proposed
International Education Standards. The ICAB-developed training manuals for
the qualifying examinations do not include recent developments in the many
areas of accounting and auditing. Out-of-date materials are not useful to
students.
19. There is a large supply of unqualified accountants. A very low passing
rate in the professional qualification examinations conducted by the ICAB has
created a type of accountant that is known as CA Course Complete (CC
accountant). Because of the limited supply of well-skilled, qualified accountants
(chartered accountant), corporations often hire the lesser-qualified CC

accountants for their accounting departments. There are estimated to be more

than 9,000 CC accountants and about 700 qualified chartered accountants in
Bangladesh. Between 1972 and end-June 2003, 11,026 students enrolled with
the ICAB as trainee accountants (articleship). In December 2002, 4 out of 56
trainee accountants passed the final examination and qualified as chartered
accountants. The trainee students often complain of inconsistencies between the
contents of the pre-examination training programs offered by the ICAB and the
examination questions. The Examination Committee of the Council of ICAB
carries out all activities connected with the qualification examinations.
20. Continuing professional education and development need to be
strengthened, monitored, and enforced. The ICAB annual requirement for
continuing professional education is 12 hours for practicing members and 10
hours for nonpracticing members, but there is no effective monitoring or
enforcement mechanism. Weak arrangements for continuing professional
education and development mean that many qualified accountants lack up-todate knowledge on international developments for financial reporting, auditing,
and other related subjects. According to international best practice, every
practicing auditor should keep pace

with new developments in auditing and accounting; this requires at least 30

hours of continuing professional education per year.
D. Setting Accounting and Auditing Standards
21. The ICAB issues Bangladesh Accounting Standards (BAS). As the
professional body of accountants, ICAB regulates its members; however, it has
no legal mandate for setting accounting standards. Despite that, ICAB develops
and issues BAS, which are not legally binding by corporate management. The
ICAB expects its members, who prepare and audit financial statements, to
observe the local standards. The ICAB has a standard-setting committee that
selects particular IAS as the basis for drafting BAS. The BAS is prepared by
adapting IAS to reflect specific local requirements under Bangladesh laws and
regulations. The draft BAS is submitted to the Council of the ICAB for
discussion, finalization, and adoption.
22. The ICAB issues Bangladesh Standards on Auditing (BSA) to be
observed by its members. An ICAB committee sets and issues local auditing

standards following the same process as for setting accounting standards.

Although BSAs are based on ISAs, no attempt is made to update the local
standards when the international standards are revised. Thus, many new ISAs
are not yet reflected in BSAs. No implementation guidelines on BSA or ISA
exist from ICAB or any other authority, so the approach of interpretation and
implementation may differ from auditor to auditor.

E. Ensuring Compliance with Accounting and Auditing Standards

23. No effective mechanism exists to enforce requirements for accounting
and financial reporting provided in the Companies Act 1994. The Office of
the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies (RJSC) has legal authority to enforce
the provisions of Companies Act 1994. The RJSC has no technical capacity to
identify accounting and auditing violations; in most cases it does not even
enforce timely filing of annual audited financial statements. The RJSC records
lack up-to-date information to verify the number of companies that have not
submitted the required annual audited financial statements and returns.
24. The SEC is the only regulatory body working to improve the quality of
financial reporting. The SEC lacks sufficiently trained staff to conduct detailed
analyses to monitor compliance with accounting and financial reporting
requirements. In a preliminary quick review of financial statements up to endFebruary 2003, SEC staff identified 16 listed companies that appeared to have
disclosure deficiencies and/or indications of accounting manipulations.
However, all these financial statements received unqualified audit opinion.
Using its regulatory powers, the SEC made arrangements for second audits of
these companies, selecting specific partners in five audit firms to do so, using
SEC-specified terms of reference. Three of the company management groups
challenged the SEC decision to conduct a second audit, and then obtained court
orders prohibiting auditors from entering their premises. The inability to
conduct these special audits has undermined SECs regulatory authority to
protect public interest. In the case of the other 13 SEC second audits, various
infractions were discovered in the annual financial statements.

25. The banking regulator has no mechanism to monitor and enforce

accounting and financial reporting requirements. The Bangladesh Bank, as

the regulator of banking and nonbanking financial institutions, conducts routine

supervision exercises to monitor and enforce prudential regulations. Bangladesh
Bank inspectors examine whether financial statements have been prepared in
accordance with established regulations. In this inspection process, no attempt is
made to assess the degree of compliance with requirements on preparing
general-purpose financial statements.4 Also, no attempt is made to determine the
reliability of the auditors opinion on a set of financial statements.
26. Financial statements prepared by insurance companies are not
subjected to monitoring and enforcement actions. The Insurance Act 1938
vested adequate power in the Chief Controller of Insurance to regulate the
financial reporting of insurance companies. In practice, these powers are rarely
exercised to ensure compliance with financial reporting requirements. Every
year the Chief Controller appoints external auditors to conduct special audits in
order to prepare reports on compliance with various prudential requirements. To
conduct these special audits, the Chief Controller normally appoints small audit
firms and sole practitioners, who in many cases lack knowledge of the insurance
industry.

27. No effective and efficient institutional arrangement exists to ensure

compliance with auditing standards and code of ethics. The ICAB has not
established an effective and efficient mechanism to ensure member compliance
with established auditing standards and the professional code of ethics. The
ICAB has not made an effective effort to review the practices of the auditors
and audit firms to evaluate the degree of compliance with the auditing
requirements.

IV. AUDITING STANDARDS AS DESIGNED AND AS PRACTICED

32. The Bangladesh Standards on Auditing are based on the International

Standards on Auditing. The ICAB has issued many BSAs that need updating
to reflect revisions of ISAs. For example, major changes in ISA relating to
Going Concern and The Auditors Report on Financial Statements need
immediate consideration. Moreover, many ISAs do not exist in Bangladesh.8

And none of the 13 International Auditing Practice Statements issued by IFAC

have been adopted.
33. The lack of methodological guidelines hinders application of auditing
standards. With the exception of audit firms associated with the international
network of accounting firms, most audit firms have no access to quality auditpractice manuals. Lacking practice-oriented methodological guidelines, auditors
generally find it difficult to handle important concepts, such as audit risks, audit
planning, internal control, materiality, documentation, and going concern. It is
difficult to apply normal audit procedures regarding related-party transactions
due to the lack of legal requirements concerning group accounting and
consolidation.
34. In general, actual practices diverge from ISA. To assess actual auditing
practices, the ROSC team interviewed practicing auditors and senior leaders of
the auditing profession. Facilitated discussions were conducted with a group of
partners representing ten large- and medium-size audit firms, from which the
following points were made on auditing practice in Bangladesh:

The knowledge gap regarding practical application of ISA and IFAC Code of
Ethics, coupled with the absence of any enforcement mechanism, adversely
affect audit quality.
It is difficult to find audit firms that comply fully with the ISA on quality
control.
Intense work pressures force many large audit firms to comply more in form
than in substance.
Small firms find it difficult to bear the cost of implementing proper quality
control arrangements.
The shortage of audit staff with industry-specific knowledge and expertise in
information technology erodes quality.
Auditors seldom note any material irregularities in their audit reports. If a set
of financial statements deserved audit qualification(s) due to material
deviations, the auditors usually bring the situation to the attention of
management through the Management Letter rather than acting on the problem.

 Poorly supervised trainee students who work for audit firms carry out most
audits. With rare exceptions, audit firm partners seldom visit clients.
Furthermore, professional interaction between the trainee students and
experienced senior manager/partner is very limited.

* Audit and assurance practice

1. ICAB
2. BAS
3. IAASB
4. Audit firm in Bangladesh
* Activities of the audit firm
* Findings
* Recommendation
* Conclusion
* reference
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