Speaker seeks US coop to recover laundered money

Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikrom, on Sunday sought cooperation from the United States government to recover money allegedly laundered from Bangladesh during the 17-year authoritarian rule.

Hafiz said Winrock International had maintained its partnership with Bangladesh for more than four decades and had played a positive role in addressing national priorities, including climate change and social protection.

He made the request during a courtesy call by a delegation led by Winrock International President and CEO Maksoda Maqsodi at his office in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Although Bangladesh contributes relatively little to global carbon emissions, it remains highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change caused by carbon dioxide emissions, he said.

Rising sea levels are increasingly threatening the livelihoods of people living in coastal areas, haor regions and along riverbanks, making Bangladesh one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, the Speaker said, according to a press release from the Parliament Secretariat.

He also said non-governmental organisations could work alongside the government to improve people’s living standards.

During the meeting, the delegation and the Speaker exchanged views on diversifying Bangladesh’s readymade garment (RMG) industry, promoting environmentally friendly technologies in agricultural production and protecting the human rights of Bangladeshi migrant workers returning from the Middle East and other countries.

Representatives of Winrock International, the Secretary of the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat and other senior officials concerned attended the meeting.