Staff Reporter :
Visiting United States Coordinator for Global Anti-Corruption Richard Nephew has said that sanction is a tool for the US policy of curbing corruption in any country.
After the meeting with Richard Nephew at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Monday, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen shared the following with the journalists.
US Ambassador Peter Haas was also present during the meeting.
When asked about the possibility of economic sanctions affecting eleven individuals, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen stated that there have been no discussions on this matter.
He mentioned that Richard Nephew, being a former sanctions officer himself, did not discuss any specific individual.
He emphasised that “sanctions are a tool,” and such thinking exists in the context of using sanctions as a policy instrument.
Regarding economic sanctions, he mentioned that it is not something specific to Bangladesh. They are talking about significant projects, the application of the Blue Dot, where such projects will have priority in attracting future investments.
“Nephew mentioned that the United States is supporting global anti-corruption efforts. It may be used in the future for business and investment purposes,” he said.
In addition, he emphasized that the discussion included capacity-building, and he sought their cooperation in repatriating money from countries where it has been illicitly transferred.
He further added, “We discussed capacity-building. And I have also sought their cooperation to bring back money from countries where it has been illegally transferred.” However, there have been no discussions about imposing sanctions against individuals or any country.
When asked about Richard Nephew’s views on money laundering, Masud Bin Momen said, “Money laundering is a part of corruption. We have discussed money laundering, and they have mentioned that some banks or small island countries make it easy for money laundering.”
“They also talked about “hundi” (an informal money transfer system). In this regard, they emphasised the need for more transparency and accountability. However, it is not possible for any country or organisation to check it entirely. However, he stressed the importance of cooperation because such issues create adverse reactions in society,” the foreign Secretary said.
When asked if Richard Nephew had any comments on the image of corruption in Bangladesh, he replied, “No, perhaps these discussions might have taken place elsewhere. There have been no such discussions with us.”
Earlier, Richard Nephew held a meeting with Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh Dr Iftekharuzzaman.
The TIB chief requested the support of the United States in curbing money laundering to various countries, including the US.
Iftekharuzzaman told the media that they discussed the issue of preventing corruption in Bangladesh. The discussion focused on the challenges of implementing measures despite having political will, institutional capacity, and a legal framework to combat corruption effectively.
Earlier on Sunday, Richard Nephew held meeting with Anti-Corruption Commission and talked about various rules and regulations and the corruption related issues affecting Bangladesh. Bangladesh side sought cooperation of the US to combat corruption.
