Bangladesh sets sights on digital reporting reform
Digital transformation is officially on the agenda in Bangladesh’s capital markets. A key step towards modernising financial oversight, the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) recently announced plans to implement structured, digital reporting – with all the associated benefits for transparency, accountability, and data access.
Speaking at a seminar hosted by the Bangladesh Institute of Capital Market (BICM) during World Investor Week 2025, BSEC Commissioner Md Saifuddin confirmed that the regulator will adopt a standardised digital reporting language, likely Inline XBRL. The goal is to eliminate reporting inefficiencies, streamline analysis, and bring Bangladesh in line with global best practices.
Currently, most financial disclosures in the country are filed as static PDFs or spreadsheets, formats ill-suited to machine analysis or consistent regulatory oversight. Md Saifuddin pointed to international precedents like the US SEC’s EDGAR system and the EU’s ESEF mandate as models for Bangladesh to follow, stating, “The global direction is clear – digital and structured reporting is the new norm.”
With support from stakeholders from across the breadth of accounting, finance, and tech sectors, a national committee has been formed to guide the transition. From investor protection to regulatory efficiency, the BSEC sees digital reporting as a foundational step toward a more accountable and data-driven market environment.
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