Laundered money accumulated abroad during the 15-year rule of the Awami League government which was overthrown by the student-people movement will be brought back by the government through the passage of a special law. The law will be passed shortly in the shape of an ordinance. The matter was finalized in a meeting at the state guesthouse Jamuna with the Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in the chair.
Later, the Press Secretary of the Chief Adviser, Shafiqul Alam, made the announcement in a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. In an attempt to assess the overall economic status of the country, the caretaker government established a White Paper Drafting Committee. On its basis, Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam reported that, during the period between the year 2009 and August 5 of last year, during the rule of Sheikh Hasina, a total of $234 billion were laundered abroad. Out of them, $17 billion were laundered abroad through the channel of the banks. The money must be brought back by the caretaker government as its very first priority, with it ranking among its top priorities, as it is the money of the people of Bangladesh.
Read More: Canada Boosts Bangladesh IndoPacific Growth
The Press Secretary also told us last September that an 11-member recovery task force for the recovery of this money was formed. The chairman of the recovery task force is the Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur. A meeting today, Monday, regarding the progress of the recovery task force and other organizations for the recovery process was convened. The meeting was chaired by the Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus with the presence of the Economic Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, Legal Adviser Professor Asif Nazrul, the Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur, among others. The Press Secretary revealed that a number of decisions were reached during the one-and-half hour meeting. The most important and foremost decision was to introduce a special bill delineating the legal framework under which the laundered money will be returned.
Source: Prothom Alo
