25 firms awarded for best presented annual reports

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) today awarded 25 listed and non-listed entities in 16 sectors for their best presented financial statements and audit reports.

Among them, Bank Asia Ltd became the overall winner at the ICAB National Award for Best Presented Annual Reports, Integrated Reporting, and Corporate Governance Disclosures -2021, according to a press release from the ICAB.

Seventeen entities also won the Certificate of Merit for achieving the minimum threshold scores.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi handed over the awards to the winners at an event at the Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.

In the banking sector (private) category of the ICAB Best Published Accounts Report (BPA), Bank Asia Limited and Shahjalal Islami Bank secured the top prize jointly.

Brac Bank became the first runner-up and United Commercial Bank and Mercantile Bank were the second runner-up jointly. Jamuna Bank and Southeast Bank received certificates of merit.

In the financial services sector, IDLC Finance won the first prize, Bangladesh Finance became the first runner-up and IPDC Finance emerged as the second runner-up.

DBH Finance Corporation and LankaBangla Finance received certificates of merit.

British American Tobacco (BD) secured the first prize in the manufacturing category. Walton Hi-Tech Industries PLC won the first runner-up prize and Reckitt Benckiser BD came the second runner-up in the same group.

Marico Bangladesh, RAK Ceramics and Premier Cement Mills received certificates of merits.

In the power and energy sector, Summit Power and United Power Generation and Distribution Company received certificates of merit, whereas Eastern Housing got the certificate of merit in the category of infrastructure and construction.

Green Delta Insurance took home the top prize in the insurance sector category. Reliance Insurance came second and City General Insurance Company was the third winner. Peoples Insurance Company received the certificate of merit.

In the communication and IT sector, Robi Axiata won the first prize. Grameenphone was the first runner-up.

ACI Ltd received the certificate of merit in the diversified holdings category, the ICAB statement said.

In the public sector entities category, Infrastructure Development Company Ltd became first, Investment Corporation of Bangladesh became second and Bangladesh Infrastructure Finance was the second runner-up.

Brac secured the first prize and Sajida Foundation, and the Community Development Center became joint first runner-up in the non-governmental organisation category.

The Society for Social Service and Shakti Foundation for Disadvantaged Women were the second runner-up jointly. 

Unique Hotel & Resorts received the certificate of merit in the service sector.

Bank Asia also collected the top prize in the corporate governance disclosures category whereas Shahjalal Islami Bank and IDLC Finance were the first runners-up jointly.

LankaBangla Finance, British American Tobacco and Mercantile Bank became the second runner-up. Brac Bank received the certificate of merit.

The award ceremony saw IDLC Finance and Bank Asia become the joint first prize winner in the integrated reporting category. Shahjalal Islami Bank and British American Tobacco Bangladesh were joint first runner-up and Mercantile Bank won the second runner-up.

LankaBangla Finance received the certificate of merit.

In the public sector bank category, Janata Bank and Sonali Bank received the certificate of merit.

From the winning companies, the three best annual reports under each sector will be nominated by the ICAB to the South Asian Federation of Accountants BPA Competition next year.

An 11-member jury board chaired by Atiur Rahman, a former governor of the Bangladesh Bank, reviewed the recommended winners.

Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam, chairman of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, comptroller and auditor general of Bangladesh, Md Shahadat Hossain, president of the ICAB, and Mohammed Humayun Kabir, chairman of the review committee for the awards, spoke on the occasion.