Dhaka: The interim government is set to proclaim a special ordinance aimed at retrieving stolen assets, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam announced during a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy this afternoon.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Alam highlighted that approximately US$ 234 billion was laundered abroad from Bangladesh during the Sheikh Hasina regime, with US$ 17 billion siphoned from the banking sector. He referred to this as an “extra kind of highway robbery.” Since the inception of the interim government, retrieving laundered assets has been a top priority.
Alam mentioned the formation of an 11-member taskforce led by Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Ahsan H Mansur on September 29. A high-level meeting on money laundering prevention was conducted at the State Guest House Jamana, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. The meeting was attended by key figures, including Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur, and others.
Discussing the outcomes of the meeting, Alam stated that a special ordinance will be proclaimed soon to expedite the repatriation of stolen money and ensure coordination in ongoing efforts. He suggested that the law might be announced next week, as it is a requirement of the firms assisting Bangladesh in recovering laundered money.
Alam also noted that the new ordinance will accelerate efforts to recover stolen assets and facilitate agreements with international law firms. The taskforce is in talks with around 200 law firms, and the ordinance will aid the government in signing deals with reputable international firms for asset recovery.
The briefing was attended by Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretaries Abul Kalam Azad and Apurba Jahangir, along with Assistant Press Secretary Suchismita Tithi.