Dhaka: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today stated that his government is prioritizing the recovery of assets laundered abroad as a crucial element of its strategy to combat corruption, money laundering, and financial crimes. He highlighted that 10 countries have initially been identified as destinations of illicit financial flows during the tenure of the previous ‘fascist’ government, and agreements are being pursued with these nations to facilitate asset recovery.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Prime Minister shared these details while responding to a question from treasury bench lawmaker from the Munshiganj-3 constituency, Md. Quamruzzaman, in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS), with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, presiding. He noted that the White Paper Committee, formed by the interim government, estimated that approximately US$234 billion was illicitly transferred out of Bangladesh between 2009 and 2023, averaging about US$16 billion per year (approximately Taka 1.8 lakh crore).
The Prime Minister emphasized the need to recover the laundered money, which has allegedly been transferred to multiple countries, through information exchange, asset identification, and enhanced mutual legal assistance with the concerned countries. The Foreign Affairs Ministry is actively collaborating with all relevant ministries and agencies to sign Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) and facilitate the exchange of Mutual Legal Assistance Requests (MLAR) to support this effort.
Among the 10 initially identified destination countries-United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong-China-three countries (Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates) have agreed to sign such agreements, while discussions continue with the remaining seven, the Prime Minister explained.
To spearhead the recovery efforts, an inter-agency taskforce led by the governor of Bangladesh Bank has been formed. To investigate priority cases identified by this taskforce, 11 joint inquiry and investigation teams have been established under the leadership of the Anti-Corruption Commission, comprising the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police, the Central Intelligence Cell of the National Board of Revenue, and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate.
The Prime Minister also presented updates on the progress of these priority cases in Parliament. As per court orders, movable and immovable assets worth Taka 57,168.09 crore have been attached and frozen within the country till March 25, 2026. Additionally, assets worth Taka 13,278.13 crore have been attached and frozen abroad. In total, assets worth approximately Taka 70,446.22 crore have been attached and frozen both domestically and internationally.
To date, 141 cases have been filed to recover laundered money, with charge sheets submitted in 15 cases and verdicts delivered in 6 cases. The government is committed to prioritizing the recovery of laundered assets abroad as a pivotal part of its anti-corruption and anti-money laundering strategy.
To further expedite the recovery process, a Stolen Asset Recovery Division has been established under the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit on February 22, 2026. The Prime Minister also noted that the government’s election manifesto emphasizes publishing a comprehensive white paper on money laundering and corruption during the previous tenure of the fascist Awami League and taking legal action against those identified as responsible.