BB governor seeks UK support to recover stolen funds
NN Online:
Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur will meet the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Corruption on March 17, aiming to secure support for retrieving stolen money back to Bangladesh.
“The central bank governor is working on it….he will go to London on March 15 or 16 next. He will hold meetings with law firms and experts working on asset recovery. He will also hold a meeting with the All Party Parliamentary Group on March 17,” Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told a recent press briefing.
During the meeting with the APPG of the UK, the BB governor, on behalf of the Bangladesh interim government, will request the UK authorities to seize or freeze the money and assets laundered from Bangladesh to the UK, Alam said.
According to the official documents obtained by BSS, on March 17, Dr Mansur will speak to the APPG on Corruption on Weed for UK to Support Bangladesh on asset recovery.
On March 19, he will join a half-day conference on asset recovery with international law firms and investigation agencies and will hold meetings with Litigation funders.
The Bangladesh Bank governor will also hold meetings with Foreign Office (FCDO) minister, director general (DG) of National Crimes Agency (NCA), current and immediate past UK justice secretary.
Besides, he will work with International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre and the World Bank to prepare for the Bangladesh Asset Recovery Conference in London in early May where 8-10 money laundering destination countries representatives, Bangladesh Taskforce members and other key stakeholders will attend.
The goal of this conference is to establish strong informal relationships/partnerships.
About the progress of asset recovery from Malaysia and Singapore, official sources said an ARTF consultant visited Malaysia in February and met Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), while the Malaysian authorities promised to assist Bangladesh investigations on Rusatom’s alleged $4bn bribe and other Bangladesh assets in Malaysia.
A formal letter of request for assistance should be sent from Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus to the Malaysian prime minister office, according to a post on the official Facebook account of the chief adviser – Chief Adviser GOB.
The Bangladesh Bank governor/international envoy will meet Singapore Non-Resident Ambassador Derek Loh in April in Singapore to establish an effective strategy there.
Chief Adviser Prof Yunus recently called for expediting efforts to bring back billions of dollars that were stolen as the government plans to enact a special law to fulfill legal requirements.
The interim government has also established a framework to recover laundered money.
According to official data, during the deposed Sheikh Hasina regime, about $234 billion was laundered abroad from Bangladesh and of the amount, $17 billion was siphoned off through the country’s banking sector.