Compliance with accounting standards by financial Institutions: Some evidence from Bangladesh

Abstract

As Bangladesh is going through socio-economic and political changes, this paper investigates the disclosures required by ‘Bangladesh Accounting Standards’ or ‘International Financial Reporting Standards’, as adopted/adapted in Bangladesh and whether affiliation with Big-4 accounting firms leads to better compliance with disclosure requirements. We analyze the financial statements of 26 banks on liquidity, concentrations of assets, liabilities and off-balance-sheet items, related-party transactions, and unconsolidated entities. Our results indicate that banks are not ensuring essential compliance with all disclosure items in national standards. Banks audited by Big-4 affiliates display better compliance in financial statements than those audited by non-affiliates, with some exceptions. Our research provided evidence that, in contrast to general understanding and expectation, Big-4 associates in developing country may not absolutely outperform local firms. We also find systematic non-compliance with provisions of standards that would be useful for inferring group membership despite compliance with other disclosure provisions.