The institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh Hosted a Welcome Dinner to Honour Prof Lakshman R Watawala for his dedicated services to the accounting profession during his visit to Dhaka Bangladesh in May this year. He is a Past President South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) and Founder signatory to the formation of SAFA in 1984. He was elected as the first Vice President and installed as the 2^nd President of SAFA in 1986.

The function to honor Prof Watawala was held at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel Dhaka and was attended by the President, Vice President & Council Members Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh, and many Past Presidents who had been associated with Prof Watawala during his period as the President Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, President of SAFA, Board Member SAFA and President Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka.

The President Mohammed Forkan Uddin and some of the key Past Presidents Abbas Uddin Khan, Anwaruddin Chowdhury, A S M Nayeem, Ms Parveen Mahmud, Mohammed Humayun Kabir spoke of the role he had played in the South Asian Region including Sri Lanka to develop the accounting profession both as a Chartered Accountant and Management Accountant and founder of two professional accounting bodies in Sri Lanka. As the Chairman of the SAFA International Relations Committee and Board member SAFA the role played by Prof Watawala in the formation of the Professional Chartered Accounting body in Maldives and at the initial stages supporting the formation of the professional accounting body in Nepal and in assisting the accounting profession in both Afghanistan and Bhutan to be associated with SAFA. 

Prof Watawala spoke of his close association with the institute of chartered Accountants of Bangladesh and the many past presidents and members whom he had associated closely some of whom were present today and thanked them and the President and the Council members for the great honour bestowed on him and congratulated ICAB and the Past and Current Presidents and Council Members for their astute leadership which has resulted in the remarkable growth and development of the Chartered Accountancy Profession in Bangladesh and gave his best wishes for its future success.  The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Mr Shubhashish Bose Chief Executive Officer (CEO)ICAB.