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Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, on Saturday, reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to a rules-based international order and collective global action, emphasising dialogue and cooperation to address shared economic challenges.
“As a responsible neighbour and an active member of the United Nations and other international bodies, Bangladesh advocates a rules-based international order and collective action in addressing global economic challenges. We support active engagement to promote dialogue, confidence-building and cooperative solutions to shared concerns,” he said.
The adviser was speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of the SAFA International Conference on “Next Generation Profession: Converging Ethical AI and Sustainability Reporting” in the capital.
Touhid said Bangladesh remains actively engaged with multilateral institutions to promote stability, trust and cooperative solutions.
He noted that the convergence of ethical artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability reporting is becoming increasingly relevant as technological innovation transforms professions worldwide, alongside a growing global emphasis on transparency, accountability and responsible governance.
For Bangladesh, he said, the integration of technology and sustainability is crucial to sustaining economic growth and strengthening global integration. He stressed that professionals must remain not only technically competent but also ethically grounded and socially responsible.
Touhid Hossain added that platforms such as the SAFA conference offer important opportunities for knowledge exchange, the sharing of best practices and the fostering of collaboration among professionals across the region and beyond.
He expressed optimism that the conference, which brought together experts, practitioners and thought leaders from South Asia and other regions, would help guide the next generation of professionals by balancing integrity, accountability and innovation.
Meanwhile, experts at the conference said the global accounting profession is entering a new phase as ethical artificial intelligence and sustainability reporting begin to converge, reshaping business risk, investor expectations and public trust.
Organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB), the conference was held under the theme “Next Generation Profession: Converging Ethical AI and Sustainability Reporting.”
Delegates from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka participated in the event, which featured three technical sessions followed by a valedictory session, according to a BSS report.
Bangladesh Competition Commission Chairperson A H M Ahsan and Financial Reporting Council (FRC) Chairman Dr Md Sajjad Hossain Bhuiyan attended the programme as special guests.
Ahsan said technological advancement presents both opportunities and challenges, noting that while AI-driven systems can enhance efficiency and strengthen compliance, they also pose risks such as algorithmic collusion, opacity and exclusionary practices in the absence of strong ethical safeguards.
For the first time in Dhaka, ICAB hosted Jean Bouquot, President of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), along with Ashfaq Yousuf Tola, Adviser to the South Asian Federation of Accountants, as guests of honour.
Bouquot said greater transparency in financial disclosure, combined with the adoption of AI, could enable professionals to deliver services more efficiently, underscoring the global relevance of ethical AI and sustainability reporting.
ICAB President NKA Mobin delivered the welcome address, while Muhammed Farhad Hussain, Past President of ICAB and Chairman of the Conference Organising Committee, also spoke.
The keynote address was delivered by Adeeb Hossain Khan, Past President of ICAB and Senior Partner at Rahman Rahman Huq, Chartered Accountants.
He said the adoption of AI in sustainability reporting is “no longer a distant concept, but a structural shift already influencing how economic value is created, measured and disclosed.”
Khan urged the profession, regulators and standard-setters to work together to ensure that AI-enabled sustainability reporting remains transparent, explainable and aligned with global standards and investor confidence.