Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur on Monday said that it is possible to freeze money and assets laundered abroad from Bangladesh within a year if the legal and procedural steps are expedited.
“Typically, it takes four to five years to complete the legal procedures to repatriate laundered funds. However, intermediate measures such as freezing those assets can be achieved within a year-or even sooner,” he said at a press briefing held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
The briefing followed a high-level meeting on the progress of recovering laundered money, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna.
Governor Mansur explained that to freeze assets abroad, Bangladesh must first complete its domestic legal processes and then send Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) requests to foreign jurisdictions in a proper and timely manner.
“We are already in the process. Requests are being sent. If we receive cooperation from foreign authorities, we will be able to freeze the laundered assets,” he said.
Once frozen, legal proceedings in foreign courts could take four to five years to complete, Mansur noted. He emphasized that the government is actively communicating with foreign institutions and governments to facilitate the repatriation of illicit funds.
The governor also said today’s meeting discussed the management of seized funds deposited in local banks, as well as confiscated shares in various financial institutions. The protection of depositors’ interests, especially in cases involving bank fraud, was a key concern during the discussions.
Governor Mansur further informed that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus is scheduled to visit the United Kingdom soon, where he will raise the issue of money laundering and seek international support to recover stolen assets.
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and other senior officials were present during the press briefing.
