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145 qualified accountants and more than 12,000 professional accounting staff, all working across 259 firms.

However, ICMAB earlier said that the number of practising chartered accountants is around 500, while the number of overall professionals is 2,000.

Howlader added that the number of active entities is much lower than the total registered, a point that even ICMAB acknowledges.

She said that in 2024, nearly 58,000 Document Verification Codes were generated to confirm accounts audited by chartered accountants, matching the number of tax returns filed. This, she argued, shows there is no shortage of auditors.

The ICAB also rejected ICMAB’s claim that it is a founding member of the International Federation of Accountants. Only ICAB holds that position on behalf of Bangladesh, it said.

Hours after ICAB’s press conference, the ICMAB issued a statement standing by its claims.

It called for urgent talks at the highest level, overseen by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) as well as the commerce and finance ministries.