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

[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.

www.thedailystar.net

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...

www.thedailystar.net

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.

www.thedailystar.net

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.​

 

[Saif]

How much money do Hasina, AL have in banks?

A court has ordered the freezing of 124 bank accounts linked to the Awami League, its research wing, and ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina

en.prothomalo.com

How much money do Hasina, AL have in banks?
Asaduzzaman
Dhaka
Published: 11 Mar 2025, 23: 10

Sheikh Hasina BSS

A court has ordered the freezing of 124 bank accounts linked to the Awami League, its research wing, and the family members of its president as well as ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, following a request from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

According to the ACC, 10 bank accounts held by the Awami League contain a total of Tk 378 million, while 17 bank accounts under the name of Sheikh Hasina hold Tk 38 million.

The deposits in three of Hasina’s accounts were not disclosed. Among others, one account contains only Tk 5, while another Tk 150. A joint account with Sheik Rehana holds the highest Tk 16 million.

Apart from those, six bank accounts under the name of Sheikh Rehana contain Tk 22.3 million in total, while two accounts belonging to Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, hold Tk 11.7 million.

The ACC has also identified 29 bank accounts linked to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust, where deposits amount to Tk 4.66 billion.

The anti-graft agency also found that an account of the Awami League at a state-run bank’s Dhanmondi branch holds Tk 89 million. Three other accounts of the party at a private bank branch in Dhanmondi contain a total of Tk 206 million.

Besides, two accounts under the title “Awami League election fund-2008” hold Tk 27 million and Tk 12 million, separately. Four other accounts of the party have deposits of more than Tk 30 million. In total, 10 accounts of Awami League contain deposits of Tk 378 million.

The ACC also found 15 bank accounts associated with the Awami League’s research wing, the Centre for Research and Information (CRI), with an accumulated deposit of Tk 408 million.​

 

[Saif]

Govt hopes to bring back some amounts of laundered money this year: Finance Adviser

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has expressed hope that the government will be able to repatriate part of the huge amount of money laundered abroad within this year. He made the remarks while talking to reporters after the meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase on Tue

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Govt hopes to bring back some amounts of laundered money this year: Finance Adviser
UNB
Published :
Mar 11, 2025 20:48
Updated :
Mar 11, 2025 20:48

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has expressed hope that the government will be able to repatriate part of the huge amount of money laundered abroad within this year.

He made the remarks while talking to reporters after the meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase on Tuesday at the Cabinet Division in Bangladesh Secretariat.

“We will start the process of bringing back the laundered money as soon as possible. For this, we will sign agreements with the concerned countries”, he added.

The finance adviser said the government has been trying its best to do this. However, the overall amount is huge.

Salehuddin said, this huge amount of money is in different countries and some legal processes are also involved in bringing back the laundered money.

“You will know more about the matter in the months to come. Apart from this, Bangladesh Bank will be able to say more about the matter”.

On Monday, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus directed the authorities concerned to intensify efforts to bring back the laundered money.

He gave these instructions at a meeting on prevention of money laundering at the State Guest House Jamuna.​

 

[Bilal9]

Begum para: Yunus seeks Canada’s help to recover stolen money

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus yesterday requested Canada’s assistance in recovering funds that were smuggled out of Bangladesh and invested in the North American country, specifically in the upscale Bangladeshi neighbourhood “Begum Para” of Toronto.

www.thedailystar.net

Begum para: Yunus seeks Canada’s help to recover stolen money

View attachment 14035
Photo: UNB

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus yesterday requested Canada's assistance in recovering funds that were smuggled out of Bangladesh and invested in the North American country, specifically in the upscale Bangladeshi neighbourhood "Begum Para" of Toronto.

"They stole money from our people and bought assets in Begum Para. We need your help to recover the assets. It is the money of our people," Yunus told Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Ajit Singh during a meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna.

The chief adviser said hundreds of billions of dollars were stolen from Bangladesh by oligarchs, cronies, and politicians connected to Sheikh Hasina's dictatorship, and part of it was laundered to Canada, including in buying assets in Toronto's infamous "Begum Para" neighbourhood.

He sought help to identify, freeze and recover the assets during his meeting with the Canadian High Commissioner.

The Canadian High Commissioner appreciated the efforts of the Prof Yunus-led interim government to bring the stolen money back.

He assured Canada's support for the asset recovery efforts, noting that Canada has a "mechanism" to freeze siphoned-off money for recovery from persons identified by the interim government to the government of Canada.

The Canadian High Commissioner also offered the country's support to the interim government's reform initiatives in its transition to democracy. "We support the great thing you are doing. We appreciate the progress that has been made. We are keen to know what we can do," Ajit Singh said.

He said Canada was keen to expand trade with Bangladesh and invest more in the country. A Canadian minister would visit Bangladesh soon to discuss issues of mutual interest, he added.

In response, Prof Yunus said, "Bangladesh is ready for business. We want to expand trade with your country, and we want Canadian companies to relocate their factories to Bangladesh."

The chief adviser said many Bangladeshi people now live and study in Canada, and Ottawa should make a move to set up its visa office in Dhaka.​

It is a crying shame that the Govt. of Canada did not see fit to establish a visa office in Dhaka. Bangladeshis had to fly to New Delhi to get visas.

Now that they are interested in doing business (Bangladesh has half of the US population) probably because of a shocked realization from dealing with Trump, it is time to look at these long overdue steps to facilitate expansion of trade and people-to-people exchanges on education, healthcare and culture between our countries.