[🇧🇩] Everything about Hasina's misrule/Laundered Money etc.

Date of Event: Nov 11, 2024

Source: https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/sheikh-hasina-was-a-classic-autocrat-m-sakhawat-hossain

Sheikh Hasina was a classic autocrat: M Sakhawat Hossain
Published :
Aug 05, 2024 22:03
Updated :
Aug 05, 2024 22:03

Sheikh Hasina was a classic autocrat who dismissed the people, and this disdain has led to her current predicament, according to Brigadier General (Retd) M. Sakhawat Hossain, an election analyst and former military officer. In a special interview with UNB news agency over the phone, he expressed these views.
He stated that today's events were inevitable and were bound to happen. "We have seen similar situations in Tunisia, Libya, and Syria. Popular uprisings are unstoppable. The student quota reform movement could have been resolved easily, but due to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's stubbornness, so many people lost their lives."

Hossain criticised the media's portrayal of the casualties, claiming that the true number is closer to 400, with a significant portion being students and young people. He questioned the whereabouts of the remaining bodies, mass graves, and the extent of innocent lives lost. "She has gone, but who will answer for this?" he asked.

He accused the ruling government of carrying out the "most heinous massacre" and of misleading the public by blaming criminals while those responsible were, in fact, their own countrymen. "Such things should not happen in a free country," he remarked.

Hossain also noted that for the past 15 years, people have been unable to vote properly, with widespread election fraud. He stated that Sheikh Hasina should have understood her and her party's unpopularity, and questioned who would be held accountable for the bloodshed. He criticized the severe lack of good governance, which he believes Sheikh Hasina failed to provide.

Furthermore, he alleged that Sheikh Hasina has created criminal gangs within the country and turned the police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) into her personal enforcers.

Reflecting on the plight of the family members of the so-called Father of the Nation, he questioned why they had to face such a tragic fate, attributing it to Hasina's arrogance and pride. He drew a parallel with the 2009 BDR mutiny, where 57 army officers were killed, and questioned who would answer for that incident as well.

He criticised Sheikh Hasina's control over TV media and her suppression of free speech, citing it as a reason he avoided talk shows. He claimed he had urged the Prime Minister in various meetings to ensure good governance, but was labelled as an 'agent of the opposition' for his criticisms.

"Today, Sheikh Hasina has fled the country, and now the army has had to take responsibility for the nation's situation," he concluded.​

 

[Saif]

Assets of Hasina, family members found in five countries: Shafiqul

'A joint probe team has found assets related to her family in the UK, USA, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Cayman Islands,' says the press secretary to the chief adviser

www.thedailystar.net

Assets of Hasina, family members found in five countries: Shafiqul

Shafiqul Alam. File photo

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said assets of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members were found in five counties including the UK and the US.

"A joint probe team has found assets of Sheikh Hasina, her family members and the individuals and organisations related to her family in the UK, USA, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Cayman Islands," he said at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital this afternoon.

Shafiqul said the existence of Russian slush fund (a reserve of money used for illicit purposes, especially political bribery) was also found in a bank of Malaysia.

He said over Tk 636 crore deposited in 124 banks accounts were attached or frozen, while 60-katha plot of Rajuk and eight flats with 10 decimal land worth Tk 8.85 crore were attached.

The press secretary said six cases were filed against Hasina and her family members on charge of plundering and forgery. Probes were completed and charge-sheets were submitted in six cases, he added.

He said travel ban has been imposed on seven family members of Hasina.

Shafiqul said Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) sent two intelligence reports to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and froze Tk 5.15 crore deposited in 11 bank accounts.

He said the BFIU also sent the details of all bank accounts of Hasina and her family members to the ACC.

About money laundering, the press secretary said during the Hasina regime, about $234 billion was laundered abroad from Bangladesh and of the amount, $17 billion was siphoned off from the country's banking sector.

Chief adviser's deputy press secretaries Abul Kalam Azad and Apurba Jahangir and Assistant Press Secretary Shuchismita Tithi were present.​

 

[Saif]

The damage Hasina did was ‘monumental’

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said that when he took charge, the country was “completely devastated,” like “another Gaza”, where not buildings, but entire institutions, policies, and international relations were destroyed.

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The damage Hasina did was ‘monumental’
Yunus tells The Guardian

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said that when he took charge, the country was "completely devastated," like "another Gaza", where not buildings, but entire institutions, policies, and international relations were destroyed.

"The damage she [deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina] had done was monumental," Yunus said in an interview with The Guardian published yesterday.

Hasina has been in India after the ouster of her government amid a student-led mass uprising on August 5 last year.

Yunus' government has initiated prosecutions against senior police officers accused of extrajudicial killings, shut down secret detention centres, and established human rights commissions. Hasina is facing hundreds of charges.

Despite his various reform initiatives, Yunus is facing mounting pressure from political groups, particularly the BNP, to hold elections swiftly, reports The Guardian.

Yunus denied any suggestion that the streets were less safe than under Hasina's rule, but others have warned that the country's security situation threatened to spiral beyond his government's control, reported the UK-based newspaper.

The chief adviser maintained that he had a "very good relationship" with the military, and that there was "no pressure" from the army chief.

"Hasina's regime wasn't a government -- it was a family of bandits," he said.

"Any order from the boss, and it was done. Someone's causing problems? We'll make them disappear. Want to hold an election? We will make sure you win all the seats. You want money? Here's a million dollar loan from the bank and you never have to pay back.

"Banks were given full licence to steal people's money, with active participation from the government," Yunus said.

"They would send their officials with guns to get it all signed off."

In December, a formal extradition request was made to India to send Hasina back to face trial in Bangladesh, but the chief adviser confirmed there had been "no response" from the Indian government.

"Hasina would still face trial for crimes against humanity, even if in absentia," he added.

Yunus said that while India sheltering Hasina was tolerable, "allowing her to use India as a platform to undo everything we have done is dangerous. It destabilises the country."

The return of Donald Trump to the White House has also complicated matters. The Biden administration was a key supporter of Yunus, but Trump has slashed USAID funding. In efforts to bring the US on side, Yunus has invited billionaire Elon Musk to bring his Starlink satellite internet service to Bangladesh, reports The Guardian.

Yunus expressed hope that Trump might see Bangladesh as a "good investment opportunity" and trading partner, and said he intended to pitch this to Musk during his visit.

"Trump's a dealmaker, so I say to him: come, do deals with us," he said.

If he did not, Bangladesh would feel a little pain, Yunus said.

"But this democratic process will not stop."​

 

[Saif]

CA for accelerating efforts to bring back stolen money

Chaired by Prof Yunus, the meeting was attended, among others, by Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur, Chief Adviser's Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Mohammad Abdul Momen, the...

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CA for accelerating efforts to bring back stolen money

Photo: Courtesy/BSS

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today directed the authorities concerned to enhance efforts to bring back the laundered money to the country.

He came up with the directives at a meeting on prevention of money laundering at the state guest house Jamuna in Dhaka.

Chaired by Prof Yunus, the meeting was attended, among others, by Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur, Chief Adviser's Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Mohammad Abdul Momen, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) chief, the home secretary, and the finance secretary.

About the outcomes of the meeting, CA's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said Prof Yunus mentioned that the money laundered abroad was the money of the countrymen, asking the authorities concerned to return the money as soon as possible.

The chief adviser said a high-powered meeting on recovery of laundered money will be held each month, while he has called another meeting on the issue after Eid-ul-Fitr to know about the progress of the recovery of stolen money, Alam said.

Yunus also directed to identify the details of the laundered money, he said, giving an example that it was found that one person siphoned off about Tk 400-500 crore per year, showing tuition fee of his or her son who was studying abroad.

Replying to a question, he said the chief adviser asserted that the returning of the laundered money is the government's top priority and it must be brought back at any cost.

Chief Adviser's deputy press secretaries Abul Kalam Azad and Apurba Jahangir and Assistant Press Secretary Shuchismita Tithi were present at the briefing.​

 

[Saif]

BB governor to visit UK for asset recovery

Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Ahsan H Mansur will visit the United Kingdom (UK) as a part of efforts to recover laundered assets.

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BB governor to visit UK for asset recovery

“Bangladesh’s financial position is strong. The only weak area is revenue collection, and the solution lies in improving revenue generation.” Ahsan H Mansur, Bangladesh Bank governor

Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Ahsan H Mansur will visit the United Kingdom (UK) as a part of efforts to recover laundered assets.

The information was disclosed by Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser (CA) Shafiqul Alam in a press briefing following a high-level meeting yesterday.

The meeting, titled "Recovery of Laundered Assets: Steps Taken and Challenges" was chaired by CA Muhammad Yunus and included an 11-member task force.

Allegations of rampant corruption, nepotism, and staggering capital flight have started to surface since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled following last year's July-August student uprising. The interim government took the initiative to investigate into the alleged money laundering and bring back the siphoned-off money from abroad.

On March 17, the central bank governor is scheduled to speak to an All-Party Parliamentary Group on corruption, emphasising the need for the UK's support in Bangladesh's asset recovery efforts, including sanctions on those assets.

"We are requesting them to freeze the assets that have been transferred there and are currently being traced," said Alam.

On March 19, a half-day conference on asset recovery will take place, involving international law firms, investigation agencies, and litigation funders.

Meetings will also be held with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, National Crime Agency, and both the current and immediate past UK secretaries of state for justice.

The press secretary also informed that work is underway with the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre and the World Bank's Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) Initiative to prepare for Bangladesh Asset Recovery Conference in London in early May.

The event will be attended by representatives from 8 to 10 money laundering destination countries, members of the Bangladesh task force, and other key stakeholders.

The press briefing highlighted that Bangladesh's asset recovery effort is among the largest and most complex in history.

Comparisons were drawn with Angola ($15 billion), Malaysia's 1MDB ($11 billion), and Nigeria ($5 billion).

It was further revealed that at least $75 billion to $100 billion in stolen assets from financial sector fraud, government contracts, and general corruption has primarily been transferred to the UK, US, Canada, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and various offshore tax havens.​

 

[Saif]

Assets of Hasina, family members found in five countries: Shafiqul

'A joint probe team has found assets related to her family in the UK, USA, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Cayman Islands,' says the press secretary to the chief adviser

www.thedailystar.net

Assets of Hasina, family members found in five countries: Shafiqul
assets of Sheikh Hasina found in five countries

Shafiqul Alam. File photo

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said assets of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members were found in five counties including the UK and the US.

"A joint probe team has found assets of Sheikh Hasina, her family members and the individuals and organisations related to her family in the UK, USA, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Cayman Islands," he said at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital this afternoon.

Shafiqul said the existence of Russian slush fund (a reserve of money used for illicit purposes, especially political bribery) was also found in a bank of Malaysia.

He said over Tk 636 crore deposited in 124 banks accounts were attached or frozen, while 60-katha plot of Rajuk and eight flats with 10 decimal land worth Tk 8.85 crore were attached.

The press secretary said six cases were filed against Hasina and her family members on charge of plundering and forgery. Probes were completed and charge-sheets were submitted in six cases, he added.

He said travel ban has been imposed on seven family members of Hasina.

Shafiqul said Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) sent two intelligence reports to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and froze Tk 5.15 crore deposited in 11 bank accounts.

He said the BFIU also sent the details of all bank accounts of Hasina and her family members to the ACC.

About money laundering, the press secretary said during the Hasina regime, about $234 billion was laundered abroad from Bangladesh and of the amount, $17 billion was siphoned off from the country's banking sector.

Chief adviser's deputy press secretaries Abul Kalam Azad and Apurba Jahangir and Assistant Press Secretary Shuchismita Tithi were present.​