The United States has recommended that Bangladesh make information on government procurement contracts publicly accessible. It has also urged the country to improve transparency in the financial sector by preparing budget documents in line with internationally recognized standards and ensuring the independence of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in accordance with international norms.

The recommendations and observations were included in the ‘2026 Fiscal Transparency Report: Bangladesh’, recently published by the US Department of State.

According to the report, the interim government made significant progress in fiscal transparency by publishing the year-end financial statements within a reasonable period. While continuing to follow the previous government’s budget preparation and implementation procedures, it has also initiated several important reforms aimed at improving financial transparency.

The US Department of State said the interim government made its executive budget proposal and approved budget available online. Although the documents did not fully comply with international standards, the budget information was generally considered reliable. Information on government debt obligations was also publicly accessible.

The report further noted that the budget documents provided a reasonable and fairly comprehensive picture of planned government revenues and expenditures, including revenue generated from natural resources.

However, the report also identified several shortcomings. It said the budget did not provide separate accounts for the operating expenses of government executive offices, while the full picture of government revenues and expenditures was not always clear from the budget documents.

The report also found that Bangladesh’s supreme audit institution did not meet international standards for institutional independence and was unable to fully review government accounts.

Regarding public procurement, the US Department of State acknowledged that Bangladesh has introduced the e-GP system but said there is scope to further improve access to the system and make procurement-related information more readily available.

To restore full transparency in the financial sector, the report offered several specific recommendations to the Bangladesh government. These include making basic information about natural-resource extraction contracts publicly available, ensuring actual revenues and expenditures remain aligned with the approved budget, and providing the country’s supreme audit office with adequate funding and the necessary autonomy.

The United States also recommended ensuring that the CAG can directly and independently audit the entire annual budget in a timely manner.