A two-day conference of Chief Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officers (CAMLCOs) of scheduled banks was held on Thursday in Cox’s Bazar, organised by the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) to strengthen anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) compliance across the banking sector.
Senior officials from Bangladesh Bank, managing directors of scheduled banks and CAMLCOs participated in the programme, which focused on improving governance, supervision and coordination to combat financial crime.
In his address as chief guest, Head of BFIU Iqtiaruddin Md Mamun stressed integrity, governance, digital transformation and inter-agency cooperation as core pillars of the AML/CFT framework.
He said rapid expansion of digital financial services has improved inclusion but increased exposure to risks including e-commerce fraud, trade-based money laundering and cybercrime.
He called for risk-based supervision, technology-driven monitoring systems, timely reporting of Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), and stronger corporate governance in banks. He also emphasised coordinated action among banks, regulators and law enforcement agencies to ensure a transparent financial system.
Mamun highlighted preparations for Bangladesh’s Mutual Evaluation by the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, urging stronger institutional readiness ahead of the 2027–2028 cycle.
The inaugural session was chaired by the deputy head of BFIU, while Association of Bankers, Bangladesh Chairman Mashrur Arefin attended as special guest. Representatives from the Anti-Corruption Commission, Bangladesh Police, Criminal Investigation Department and Central Intelligence Cell of the National Board of Revenue also joined panel discussions.
Sessions covered asset recovery, risk-based supervision, loan fraud prevention, ethical compliance and mutual evaluation readiness. Participants stressed enhanced customer due diligence, know your customer procedures, transaction monitoring and stronger capacity building to address rising digital and cyber risks.
