During his visit to London as part of the chief adviser’s delegation, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur held a series of high-level meetings with global experts to advance key policy discussions on the recovery of stolen assets.
In an official statement released Saturday, the central bank confirmed that its governor undertook a significant visit to London from June 10-13. During his trip, he engaged in key separate meetings with the UK’s National Crimes Agency (NCA) and held discussions with several senior officials, including Daniel Murphy, head of the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC).
The BB governor conveyed his profound appreciation for the sustained support and robust collaboration extended by the IACCC to Bangladesh’s Asset Recovery Taskforce (BART).
He specifically acknowledged the invaluable technical assistance provided for the eleven Joint Investigations Teams (JITs), which have been established to probe eleven priority asset recovery cases.
Mansur also expressed his appreciation for the NCA following its recent asset freeze of £170 million linked to former land minister Syefuzzaman Chowdhury Javed. This action follows last month’s £90 million freeze of assets belonging to Shayan Rahman and Shariar Rahman of the Beximco Group.
The cenbank governor expressed hope for deeper collaboration with both the NCA and the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC) in the future. He noted that the UK’s leadership in freezing a total of £250 million in suspected illicit assets sets a powerful precedent and could encourage other major money laundering destination countries to take similar actions in support of Bangladesh’s asset recovery efforts.
Following the NCA meeting, Mansur served as the chief guest at an ‘Asset Recovery Roundtable’ hosted by leading global law firm DLA Piper. The event brought together key stakeholders, including major litigation funders such as Omni Bridgeway and Benchwalk Capital, and investigative and advisory firms like Alvarez & Marsal and Sovereign Advisory, alongside strategic communications firm Unitas Global.
The roundtable focused on advancing the governor’s objective of mobilising $100 million in litigation funding to support 30 asset recovery cases by the end of 2025. Several participants stressed the urgency of signing NDAs with Bangladesh Bank and individual financial institutions to enable access to data on Non-Performing Loans (NPLs), facilitating asset tracing and the initiation of legal proceedings.
Governor Mansur welcomed the proposal from participants to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to pursue legal claims in key jurisdictions such as the UK and Singapore. He noted that such a structure would help institutionalize Bangladesh’s asset recovery efforts and ensure continuity beyond political cycles.
He also met with BlackRock, the world’s biggest asset manager and updated them on Bangladesh’s improving economy. Mansur encouraged them to invest more in the country’s banks and stock market.
The governor also met with London’s lord mayor and top fintech companies. They talked about increasing investment and working together more closely between London and Bangladesh’s financial sector. He even invited the lord mayor to visit Bangladesh soon.
Finally, the governor met with several money exchange houses in London. He wanted to learn how to make sending money home easier for Bangladeshis and keep the strong growth of remittances going.