Bangladesh seeks justice — will the UK deliver?

Although repatriating illicit wealth — often stashed in complex offshore networks — requires costly and prolonged litigation, the country is finally taking meaningful steps to reclaim tens of billions allegedly siphoned abroad during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year tenure.

The interim administration, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has launched a determined asset recovery campaign. Dr. Yunus’s recent appeal to UK authorities is a call to conscience and legality.

According to a report published in The New Nation on Friday, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur has indicated that civil settlements may be pursued in less egregious cases. While such a strategy risks accusations of leniency, it is pragmatic.

If minor offenders can be persuaded to settle swiftly, that may be a small price to pay for recovering funds and refocusing legal firepower on the worst culprits.

The scale of the alleged financial haemorrhage is staggering. A government-commissioned white paper estimates that some $234 billion was illicitly transferred out of Bangladesh under the former regime.

With 11 key investigations now underway, including into powerful families once linked to political elites, this is no mere symbolic crusade.

Frozen domestic accounts, international cooperation, and strategic legal action mark a rare display of both urgency and seriousness.

Bangladesh’s collaboration with international litigation funders such as Omni Bridgeway further underscores the professionalism of this effort. By securing up to $100 million for legal action abroad, Dhaka is demonstrating it will not relent.

Predictably, the outlawed Awami League has dismissed the crackdown as a political vendetta.

While political misuse of justice is a legitimate concern in any transitional context, the Yunus government’s actions so far reflect procedural diligence, not personal vengeance.

This anti-corruption drive could mark a watershed moment for Bangladesh’s democracy, financial integrity, and international credibility.

But it cannot succeed in isolation. Countries that serve as destinations for illicit capital, including the UK, must cooperate without hesitation.

Britain, as a major financial hub, has both the capacity and responsibility to support such efforts, especially when faced with credible allegations of financial crime.

Stolen wealth must be returned to its rightful owners: the people of Bangladesh.

To do anything less would be to condone theft, shield impunity, and undermine the very principles upon which global financial transparency is built.