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Tk 6.35 billion in Hasina family's seized bank accounts
Huge assets found in five countries
Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to Chief Adviser Dr Yunus. Photo collected
Tk 6.35 billion has been found in 124 bank accounts former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family, who fled the country. In addition, huge assets have been found in five countries, in Europe and America. And out of the 11 cases initially identified for money laundering, most of them involve Hasina and her family.
This information was given by the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus on Monday. Later, the press wing of the Chief Advisor released this information.
The topic of the meeting was 'Recovery of Laundered Assets, Steps Taken and Challenges.' After the meeting, the Chief Advisor's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam held a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. He said that the interim government wants to bring back the laundered money at any cost. Besides, talks have been held with about 200 legal firms to return the money. Agreements will be signed with 30 firms to simplify the process. An Asset Recovery Agency is being established. A special law will be formulated within the next week to facilitate these processes.
The BFIU said that it has received 635.14 crore taka in 124 seized bank accounts of Sheikh Hasina, her family and their interested individuals and institutions. In addition, 60 katha plots of RAJUK with a deed value of 1 crore 80 lakh taka and eight flats with 10 percent land worth 8 crore 85 lakh taka have been blocked. It said that assets have been found in the names of Sheikh Hasina, her family and their interested individuals and institutions in the US, UK, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands. In addition, the existence of a Russian 'cash fund' has also been found in an account in Malaysia.
Charge sheets have been filed after investigation in six cases against the Hasina family and their interested individuals and institutions on charges of fraud and forgery, and seven family members have been banned from traveling abroad.
The press secretary said that the reckless nature of the money laundering can be understood through two examples. Tk 400-500 crore was sent as tuition fees for a student.