Committed to bring back laundered money

While retrieving laundered money is a challenging task, the interim government is fully committed to the effort, said Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, yesterday.

He made the remarks during a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy.

Bangladesh is currently engaged in discussions with various heads of state, international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States to facilitate the recovery of funds siphoned from the country.

According to Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, between $12 billion and $15 billion has been illegally transferred out of Bangladesh annually over the past 15 years.

“Bringing back the laundered money is a tough job. However, the government has implemented extensive measures to recover these public funds, which, if returned, could be used for the betterment of the people,” Shafiqul said.

He said Chief Adviser Prof.Muhammad Yunus addressed the issue during meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly summit, where the recovery of siphoned funds was a key agenda item.

Shafiqul confirmed that discussions were held with Western ambassadors, including the US ambassador, UK high commissioner, and the Swiss envoy, regarding this matter.

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit is actively working on the issue, collaborating with the FBI.

He said the interim government recognises the significant contributions of the four national leaders — Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, AHM Quamruzzaman and M Mansur Ali — who were killed in jail on November 3, 1975, and played vital roles during the Liberation War.

Regarding a recent attack on the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Shafiqul condemned all forms of violence and said that the government has ordered a probe into the incident.

He also condemned recent attacks on the Jatiyo Party office, affirming that law enforcement is addressing these issues.