Dhaka: Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has announced that assets belonging to deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her family have been discovered in five countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. At a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy, Alam detailed the findings of a joint probe team that uncovered assets linked to Hasina and her associates in the UK, USA, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Cayman Islands.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Alam revealed that a Russian slush fund was also identified in a Malaysian bank. Additionally, over Taka 636 crore held in 124 bank accounts were either attached or frozen. Furthermore, a 60-katha plot of Rajuk and eight flats with 10 decimal land valued at Taka 8.85 crore were seized.
Alam disclosed that six cases have been filed against Hasina and her family for alleged plundering and forgery, with investigations concluded and charge sheets submitted in all six cases. A travel ban has also been imposed on seven of Hasina’s family members.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has sent two intelligence reports to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), freezing Taka 5.15 crore in 11 bank accounts. The BFIU has also provided the ACC with details of all bank accounts held by Hasina and her family.
Addressing money laundering issues, Alam stated that approximately US$ 234 billion was laundered abroad during Hasina’s regime, with US$ 17 billion siphoned from the country’s banking sector. He described it as “an extra kind of highway robbery.”
The briefing was attended by Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretaries Abul Kalam Azad and Apurba Jahangir, along with Assistant Press Secretary Suchismita Tithi.