ICMAB holds workshop on sustainability reporting

The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) held a workshop on ‘Sustainability reporting’ at Ruhul Kuddus Auditorium of ICMA Bhaban in Nilkhet on March 14.

Dr Md Hamid Ullah Bhuiyan, chairman of Financial Reporting Council Bangladesh was the chief guest at the programme where Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Limited DMD and CEO Muhammad Halimuzzaman was present as the special guest, said a press release.

Aditi Haldar, director of GRI South Asia presented a well-developed and thoughtful keynote paper on sustainability reporting at the event. In her presentation, she showed that, 25 years ago, GRI first pioneered sustainability reporting and subsequently, become a mainstream corporate practice by organisations around the world.

Md Touhidul Alam Khan, additional managing director and chief risk officer and CAMLCO of Standard Bank Limited was present as a commentator in the workshop session. ICMAB President Md Abdur Rahman Khan presided over the programme.

In the seminar, the discussants highlighted the importance of sustainability reporting and said that financial and sustainability standards must be developed and governed in their own right and mechanisms are needed to address questions of connectedness between the two.

The aim of sustainability reporting and its associated reporting process is to create transparency in the market, they said. Effective reporting should empower companies to take accountability for their impacts, the speakers stated.

Mohammad Salim, past president and chairman of the seminar and conference committee delivered the welcome speech and Md Kausar Alam, secretary of ICMAB offered the vote of thanks.

Mohammed Jahangir Alam, council member of ICMAB and Group CEO of Bangla Trac Group moderated the session. At the question-and-answer session, the panellists answered the questions raised by the floor and the programme was vibrant with the active participation of members. A good number of ICMA members from home and abroad attended the event in person and through the virtual platform.