Assets worth a total of Tk 66,146 crore have been frozen at home and abroad in money laundering and terrorist financing cases, according to the Ministry of Finance.
The amount includes Tk 55,638 crore worth of movable and immovable assets in Bangladesh and Tk 10,508 crore in assets located overseas.
The update was shared at the 30th meeting of the National Coordination Committee, held on Wednesday, with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair, the ministry said in a press release.
The meeting reviewed progress in recovering money and assets siphoned off abroad in 11 priority cases identified by the authorities. So far, 104 cases have been filed under those priority cases, charge sheets have been submitted in 14 cases, and courts have delivered verdicts in four cases.
To make recovery efforts more effective, the meeting decided to amend several provisions of the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012 to update and strengthen the legal framework. Officials also reviewed the progress of joint enquiry and investigation teams working on the priority cases.
The meeting directed all concerned agencies to expedite charge sheet submission, send Mutual Legal Assistance Requests to relevant countries, and take effective steps to ensure the speedy disposal of cases.
According to the press release, 21 Mutual Legal Assistance Requests have already been sent to concerned countries in connection with the 11 priority cases.
The meeting further noted that Bangladesh will undergo the fourth round of mutual evaluation in the 2027–28 cycle by the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering, which assesses countries’ compliance with international standards on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing.
Describing the evaluation as a top-priority task, the meeting instructed all ministries, divisions and agencies to take necessary preparations to effectively address the assessment.
Those present at the meeting included the chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission, the principal secretary to the Chief Adviser’s Office, the governor of Bangladesh Bank, the finance secretary, the secretary of the Financial Institutions Division, the chairman of the National Board of Revenue, the commerce secretary, the secretary of the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, the chairman of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, the secretary (bilateral) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the additional attorney general, the CID chief, and representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bangladesh Police and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit.
