15 Years of Capital Flight was 'Broad Daylight Robbery': Foreign Adviser

Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain on Saturday characterized the massive capital flight from Bangladesh over the last 15 years as "bank robbery in broad daylight."

Speaking as the chief guest at the SAFA International Conference 2026, the Adviser noted that a significant portion of this wealth was siphoned out of the country through accounting manipulation.

He called upon the professional accounting community to act as a safeguard against such financial crimes. "With the country's top accountants before me, I urge your collaboration to ensure this doesn't happen again. We must move toward a more transparent path," Mr. Hossain added.

The conference, titled “Next Generation Profession: Converging Ethical AI and Sustainability Reporting,” was organized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) at a hotel in the capital.

Approximately 500 local and international experts attended the event, which featured speeches from IFAC President Jean Bouquot and SAFA President Mohammed Humayun Kabir.