Dhaka, Sep 10 (V7N) – The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has committed to fully cooperating with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh in efforts to recover laundered assets and combat money laundering. The ACC shared details of its ongoing activities during a meeting with the UN agency.

The UNODC, which focuses on tackling drug trafficking, crime prevention, international terrorism, and political corruption, expressed its willingness to assist Bangladesh in this critical area.

This meeting follows a similar one between the ACC and the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where the FBI also promised support for recovering laundered funds. ACC Secretary Khorsheda Yasmeen stated that the agency’s money laundering wing will collaborate with both the FBI and other international bodies as needed to bring back the stolen assets.

"In cases of money laundering, we will work with the FBI and seek assistance from various sources to recover laundered money," Yasmeen noted. The FBI, too, has assured the ACC of its cooperation in this effort.

Reports have surfaced of over Tk1 lakh crore being laundered by former government officials, lawmakers, and politicians following the ousting of the Awami League-led government. The Chief Adviser's Office recently issued a press statement indicating that audit processes will soon begin to quantify the extent of the misappropriation, which is speculated to exceed Tk1 lakh crore.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur recently revealed that much of the laundered money has been transferred to countries like Dubai, Singapore, and the USA. Authorities are already in talks with the US to facilitate the return of these foreign assets. Mansur highlighted that a prominent smuggling family is believed to own between 500 to 600 properties in the UK, and efforts are underway to seize their local assets before reclaiming their foreign holdings.

Key figures allegedly involved in laundering significant amounts of money include Salman F Rahman, S Alam Group, former social welfare minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed, former state minister for civil aviation Md Mahbub Ali, and ex-MP Akhtaruzzaman Babu, among others.

Both the ACC and the Central Investigation Department (CID) have launched inquiries into these allegations. Notably, the CID is investigating Salman F Rahman, Vice Chairman of Beximco Group and an adviser to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, for allegedly laundering Tk33,470 crore abroad through loans taken from seven banks over the past 15 years. Investigations are also underway against S Alam Group's Chairman, Saiful Alam Masud, and his family for laundering Tk1.13 lakh crore through illegal channels like the hundi system.

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