Dhaka, Sep 12 (V7N) – Bangladesh Bank will create a plan to retrieve public funds deposited in various private banks, announced Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, today.

Rizwana Hasan stated at a press briefing following the advisers' council meeting that the Finance Ministry will instruct Bangladesh Bank to devise a strategy for recovering these funds, which have been deposited by different ministries in private banks. The central bank will work on this roadmap in collaboration with the ministries and private banks, with a meeting scheduled to address this matter.

The adviser explained that several government ministries have deposited funds in banks as fixed deposits, which are used to finance government projects. She highlighted a specific issue involving the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF), which was allocated Tk3,951 crore by the previous government. Some of this fund was deposited in Farmers' Bank (now Padma Bank), and the amount has grown to over Tk873 crore with interest. However, Padma Bank has not repaid the money despite repeated requests, and the bank is renewing the fixed deposit receipts annually without consulting the ministry.

The adviser also noted that Padma Bank claims it cannot return the funds before 2038, reflecting concerns about the banking sector’s stability. The government will investigate why ministries deposited public money in private banks.

Responding to a query, Rizwana stated that Sheikh Hasina, as the spokesperson of the previous government, should face justice. Labour and Employment Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain and Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam also participated in the briefing.

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