The government should take the services of CMAs to improve the public sector financial management," added Mahmud.

He also said the CMAs do not feel encouraged to work with the public sector due to poor pay structure.

Mahmud, also a professor of Economics at Dhaka University, was addressing 21st annual gathering programme of CMAs of Dhaka Branch Council (DBC) styled 'DBC Fellowship Night' at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka.

DBC is one the three branches of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB), which is the only national organisation under the Ministry of Commerce that offers CMA education and registration.

Now DBC has 569 members while the total number of membership of ICMAB stands at 829.

Speaking at the function, The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam said CMAs are very crucial to ensure transparency and accountability in a company.

"As a CEO of a newspaper, I feel how important your profession is in keeping a company healthy," Anam told CMAs.

He also urged them to uphold the ethical standards of their profession.

Earlier in a business session, a seminar styled 'Corporate Social Responsibility-A Prime Need for Business' was held with Ashfaque ur Rahman, managing director of Novartis Bangladesh, in the chair.

Satipati Moitra, president of ICMAB, Mohammed Ishaque, founder chairman of DBC, Sanaul Haque, chairman of DBC Seminar and Conference Committee 2006, among others, spoke at the seminar.