Dhaka: Finance Secretary Dr. Md. Khairuzzaman Mozumder today announced that the newly established Internal Audit Unit will become fully operational from next week: The Finance Division has launched this independent unit to mitigate financial risks and enhance management within government institutions in Bangladesh. Dr. Mozumder emphasized the significance of internal auditing as a mechanism to ensure accountability and transparency in financial operations.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the secretary made these remarks while addressing a stakeholder consultation workshop titled "Internal Auditing Journey in the Public Sector" held in Manikganj. Dr. Mozumder underscored that financial management is a collective responsibility involving all government spending entities, not just the Ministry of Finance. To pilot this initiative, internal auditing is being introduced in five high-expenditure departments: the Directorate of Primary Education, Roads and Highways Department, Public Works Department, Local Government Engineering Department, and the Directorate General of Health Services.
Dr. Mozumder mentioned that the initiative is anticipated to have long-term impacts, with plans to progressively extend it to other government entities. The workshop was presided over by Finance Division Additional Secretary Shirajun Noor Chowdhury, with special guests including Dr. Md. Abdul Hakim, Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education, Syed Moinul Hasan, Chief Engineer of the Roads and Highways Department, and Md. Shafiqul Islam, Additional Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department.
Additional Secretary (Budget-1) and National Program Director of the Strengthening Public Financial Management Program to Enable Service Delivery (SPFMS), Bilquis Jahan Rimi, delivered the welcome address, while Munshi Abdul Ahad, Additional Secretary of the Finance Division, provided the vote of thanks. Shirajun Noor Chowdhury emphasized the essential role of internal audits in establishing internal controls and fostering transparency and accountability in financial management.
Md. Shafiqul Islam highlighted the need for digitizing the system and enhancing user skills, particularly for vendors. Dr. Md. Abdul Hakim stressed the importance of building institutional capacity for implementing internal audits. During the inaugural session, presentations on various aspects of internal auditing were delivered by Finance Division Joint Secretary Mohammad Azad Sallal, Joint Secretary and Programme Executive and Coordinator of SPFMS Md. Rafiqul Islam, and Finance Division Deputy Secretary Mohammad Shawkat Ullah.
The presentations focused on the necessity of establishing an independent Internal Audit Unit (IAU) and creating a standardized organogram for reporting lines. Additionally, the recommendations included forming internal audit committees in ministries and divisions to prioritize addressing audit observations, aligning with a risk-based internal audit manual.