The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) hosted the SAFA Quiz, Public Speaking and Essay Contests 2025 in Dhaka on 18 July 2026, bringing together national-level winners from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal for a regional competition aimed at showcasing knowledge, communication and written expression.
The event featured participants representing professional accounting institutions from five South Asian countries, with competitions in quiz, public speaking and essay writing. ICAB said the programme was designed to strengthen regional collaboration and knowledge exchange while promoting professional excellence among emerging accounting professionals.
The event was attended by Mohammed Humayun Kabir FCA, President of the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), CA Pravin Kumar Jha, SAFA Vice President, CA Dr Jai Kumar Batra, Permanent Secretary of SAFA, and Sabbir Ahmed FCA, President of ICAB.
Also present were Md Kamruzzaman FCA, Chairman of the Dhaka Regional Committee, Fahmida Khan FCA, Chairman of the SAFA Quiz, Public Speaking and Essay Contests 2025, and members of the Dhaka Regional Committee.
Six professional accounting bodies participated in the Quiz and Public Speaking Contests. They were ICAB and the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) from Bangladesh, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal (ICAN), the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) and CA Sri Lanka.
The contestants had previously won their respective national competitions before qualifying to represent their institutions and countries at the regional event.
The Quiz Contest featured 12 contestants, with two representatives from each participating institution. The Public Speaking Contest also had 12 contestants, while the Essay Contest included 21 participants, with three representatives from each institution.
In the Quiz Contest, ICAB and ICAN were declared joint champions, while ICMAB secured the runner-up position.
In the Public Speaking Contest, participants representing ICAN won both the champion and first runner-up titles, while a participant from ICAI finished second runner-up.
The Essay Contest included seven participating institutions: ICMAB, ICAI, the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of India (ICMAI), ICAN, ICAP, CA Sri Lanka and the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka (CMA Sri Lanka).
ICMAI emerged as champion, ICAI secured the first runner-up position and ICMAI also claimed the second runner-up title.
ICAB said the competition provided a platform for high-performing participants from across South Asia to demonstrate their knowledge, analytical ability, public speaking skills and written expression.
The institute said the contestants, having already emerged as national-level winners, represented the highest-performing talent from their respective institutions and countries, highlighting the region’s intellectual and professional capabilities.
The SAFA Quiz and Elocution Contest was first held in Dhaka on 28 January 2017, when ICAB emerged as champion.
ICAB said the 2025 edition continued that tradition by bringing together young accounting professionals from across South Asia and further strengthening cooperation among SAFA member bodies while promoting knowledge, critical thinking, effective communication and professional excellence.
