Published: 12:38 AM, 23 April 2026
Working with top priority to recover laundered assets: PM
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday told Parliament that the government is attaching top priority to recovering assets siphoned off from Bangladesh.
"As part of a broader strategy to combat corruption, money laundering and financial crimes, the present government is working with the highest priority to recover laundered assets abroad," he said while replying to a starred question from treasury bench member Md Qamruzzaman (Munshiganj-3), UNB reports.
Citing information from a white paper formulation committee formed by the interim government, the Prime Minister said an estimated $234 billion was illicitly transferred out of Bangladesh between 2009 and 2023-an average of $16 billion annually (around Tk 1.8 lakh crore).
He said since these funds were transferred to several countries, efforts are being made to strengthen information exchange, asset identification and mutual legal assistance with the countries concerned.
To this end, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working closely with all ministries and agencies concerned to conclude Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) and facilitate the exchange of Mutual Legal Assistance Requests (MLARs), he said. Among 10 initially identified destination countries- USA, UK, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Thailand, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong (China)-three countries, namely Malaysia, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, have agreed to sign agreements, while the process is underway with the remaining seven countries, said the PM.
He further said an inter-agency task force has already been formed under the leadership of the Governor of Bangladesh Bank.
Legal process is going on to recover laundered funds in 11 priority cases identified by the task force, he added.
To expedite investigation and inquiry into these cases, 11 Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) have been formed under the leadership of the Anti-Corruption Commission, comprising officials from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police, the Central Intelligence Cell of the National Board of Revenue and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate.
Focusing on the progress made so far in case of priority cases, the Prime Minister said as of March 25, 2026, courts have ordered the attachment and freezing of movable and immovable assets worth Tk 57,168.09 crore within the country, while movable and immovable assets worth Tk 13,278.13 crore laundered abroad on the other hand.
"In total, assets worth approximately Tk 70,446.22 crore have been attached and frozen both at home and abroad," he added.
The Prime Minister also said 141 cases have so far been filed to recover laundered money, of which charge sheets have been submitted in 15 cases and verdicts delivered in six cases.
To further accelerate and strengthen the recovery process, a 'Stolen Asset Recovery Division' has been formed under the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit on February 22 last, said the PM.
