BB in talks with funders over $100m legal aid
Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur recently visited London to engage with major global litigation funders and strengthen international cooperation in asset recovery and financial reform. The visit, held from 10 to 13 June, was part of the Chief Adviser’s official delegation.
According to a press release issued by the central bank on Saturday, Governor Mansur met with prominent litigation finance firms, including Omni Bridgeway and Benchwalk Capital, with the aim of securing up to $100 million in funding for 30 legal cases by the end of 2025.
The governor also held discussions with investigative firm Alvarez & Marsal and strategic communications consultancy Unitas Global, as part of broader efforts to accelerate the work of Bangladesh’s Asset Recovery Taskforce (BART).
In his meetings, Dr Mansur expressed appreciation for the support provided by the International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) and the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC), particularly in relation to the 11 Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) formed to pursue high-priority asset recovery cases.
He also welcomed the recent action by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), which imposed asset freezes totalling £250 million.
This included £170 million in assets linked to former land minister Syefuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and £90 million associated with Shayan and Shariar Rahman of the Beximco Group. Dr Mansur described the asset freezes as a “significant step forward” and expressed hope that other governments in key money laundering destinations would follow suit.
As part of his visit, the governor was the keynote speaker at an Asset Recovery Roundtable hosted by global law firm DLA Piper. The event brought together stakeholders from litigation finance, investigative services, and strategic advisory firms.
In a separate meeting, Governor Mansur met with representatives of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, to brief them on Bangladesh’s improving macroeconomic outlook and encourage greater investment in the banking and capital markets.
The governor also met with the Lord Mayor of London and senior executives from leading fintech companies to explore opportunities for enhanced cooperation between the UK and Bangladesh’s financial sectors. An invitation was extended to the Lord Mayor to visit Bangladesh in the near future.
Additionally, the governor engaged with London-based money exchange houses to discuss ways to streamline the remittance process and sustain the recent growth momentum in remittance inflows.