White paper on Awami-era corruption
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday told parliament that the government will publish a comprehensive white paper detailing alleged corruption and illicit financial outflows during the tenure of the Awami League, and pursue legal action against those identified as responsible.
Responding to a supplementary question during the prime minister’s question session, chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Rahman said the initiative forms a key commitment in the government’s electoral manifesto.
He added that investigations into money laundering and corruption would underpin the white paper, which is expected to outline both the scale of financial crimes and the individuals or entities involved.
The prime minister said 11 cases linked to alleged money laundering have been placed on a priority list for recovery efforts.
These include cases involving former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her family and associated entities, as well as several prominent business groups and individuals.
Among those named are S Alam Group, Beximco Group, Bashundhara Group, Summit Group, Orion Group and others, along with former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and businessman HBM Iqbal.
Rahman said legal proceedings are already underway to recover laundered funds tied to these cases, under the supervision of an inter-agency task force led by the governor of Bangladesh Bank.
He described asset recovery from abroad as a “top priority” in the government’s broader strategy to combat corruption, money laundering and financial crimes.
According to the prime minister, 10 countries have been initially identified as key destinations of illicit financial flows: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong (China).
Bangladesh has already agreed to sign mutual legal assistance agreements with Malaysia, Hong Kong and the UAE, while negotiations with the remaining seven countries are ongoing.
Citing data compiled by a white paper preparation committee formed during the interim administration, Rahman said an estimated $234 billion was illicitly transferred out of Bangladesh between 2009 and 2023—averaging roughly $16 billion annually.
He noted that the cross-border nature of such financial flows has complicated recovery efforts, requiring enhanced information-sharing, asset tracing and legal cooperation with foreign jurisdictions.
To facilitate this, the government is working closely with the foreign ministries and relevant authorities of the identified countries to establish or strengthen mutual legal assistance frameworks, he said.
Separately, responding to a question from lawmaker Abdul Aziz of Natore-4, the prime minister said the government plans to train 1,000 individuals over five years to develop a new generation of freelancers.
He added that 2 million freelancer identification cards will be issued during this period, with 7,500 cards already distributed.
