C T Online Desk: Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Monday called for expediting efforts to bring back billions of stolen money – both from the banking system and other means – as the government plans to frame a special law to fulfil legal requirements.
He made the call at a meeting held with the 11-member task force formed in September last year headed by Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur and senior officials of the relevant department and agencies.
While briefing reporters at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said a law will be framed soon to facilitate the process of bringing back the stolen money.
Asked how the law will be framed in the absence of parliament, the press secretary said it will be done through promulgating an ordinance as a set procedure.
He said the task force has already talked to around 200 law firms and it might go for agreements with around 30 internationally reputed law firms to facilitate the process.
Shafiqul said the selection process has not been made yet and it will be done through a legal process.
“It’s a kind of highway robbery. It’s the top priority of the government. The government wants to bring the stolen money back at any cost,” he said, adding that the meeting lasted for around 90 minutes.
The press secretary said the new law is being made quickly, most probably by the next week, to expedite the efforts and make overall coordination smoother.
He said the chief adviser laid emphasis on making the best use of time and stressed that they should not waste a single day.
“There were efforts from the very beginning to bring the stolen money back as one of the top priorities as these are people’s money.”
Referring to the white paper on the state of the economy, Shafiqul said around $234 billion was siphoned off during the Sheikh Hasina regime from 2009-2024 (5 August) and $17 billion from the banking system.
He said the government is working on 11 big companies and individuals, including former prime minister Hasina and her family members.
The press secretary cited an example of an individual who sent Tk400-Tk500 crore in tuition fees.
The meeting decided to go into further details of money laundering to know how it happened and where it has gone.
Chief Adviser Yunus sought updates from all who attended the meeting and directed them to put in their best efforts to bring back money as quickly as possible.
Shafiqul said such meetings will be held each month and the next meeting will be held after Eid.
More efforts to bring stolen money back
The press secretary said the interim government is in discussion with Malaysia and Singapore and Malaysia also wants to help Bangladesh in terms of asset recovery.
Special Envoy on International Affairs to the Chief Adviser Lutfey Siddiqi who was present at the meeting, is also in discussion with Singapore as the interim government is trying to establish an “effective strategy” with Singapore.
Shafiqul said the central bank governor will speak at a programme in the UK on 17 March on the need for the UK to support Bangladesh in asset recovery.
Meanwhile, a half-day conference will be held on 19 March in London with the participation of international law firms, he said.
Meanwhile, the press secretary said, there will be a conference to be held in London in early May with the support of the World Bank’s stolen asset recovery (STAR) initiative.
“These are very crucial to bring back the stolen money,” he said, adding that the interim government expects to recover some stolen assets by this year if they can make progress to that end.
Chief Adviser’s deputy press secretaries Apurba Jahangir, Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, and Assistant Press Secretary Suchismita Tithi were also present.
