Manikganj Correspondent

Secretary of the Finance Division, Dr. Md. Khairuzzaman Mozumder, stated that the Finance Division has established an independent Internal Audit Unit to reduce financial risks and ensure proper management in government institutions of Bangladesh. This initiative, recognizing the importance of internal auditing, will become fully operational starting next week.

While speaking as the chief guest at a stakeholder consultation workshop titled “Internal Auditing Journey in the Public Sector,” he emphasized that financial management is not solely the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance; all government spending entities are involved in this process. As a result, the Ministry of Finance is piloting internal auditing in five high-expenditure departments—Directorate of Primary Education, Roads and Highways Department, Public Works Department, Local Government Engineering Department, and Directorate General of Health Services. This initiative is expected to have long-term impacts, with plans underway to gradually expand it across other government entities.

The workshop’s inaugural session was presided over by Shirajun Noor Chowdhury, Additional Secretary, Budget and Expenditure Management, Finance Division. Special guests included 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. Bilquis Jahan Rimi, Additional Secretary (Budget-1) and National Program Director of the Strengthening Public Financial Management Program to Enable Service Delivery (SPFMS), delivered the welcome address, while Munshi Abdul Ahad, Additional Secretary, Finance Division, gave the vote of thanks.

Sirajun Noor Chowdhury highlighted the critical role of internal audits in establishing internal controls and ensuring transparency and accountability in financial management. Md. Shafiqul Islam noted the importance of digitizing the system while enhancing the skills of users, particularly vendors. Dr. Md. Abdul Hakim stressed the necessity of institutional capacity building for the implementation of internal audits.

Bilquis Jahan Rimi described internal audit management as the "third eye" of financial management, ensuring adherence to government regulations. She mentioned that the initiative has started with the five high-expenditure departments and will gradually be extended to other government institutions. Presentations on various aspects of internal auditing were delivered during the inaugural session by Mohammad Azad Sallal, Joint Secretary, Finance Division; Md. Rafiqul Islam, Joint Secretary and Program Executive and Coordinator, SPFMS; and Mohammad Shawkat Ullah, Deputy Secretary, Finance Division.

The presentations emphasized the importance of establishing an independent Internal Audit Unit (IAU) and creating a standardized organogram for the reporting line. Additionally, recommendations were made to form internal audit committees in ministries and divisions to address audit observations on a priority basis in line with a risk-based internal audit manual.