About 3 lakh crore taka has been laundered from country: Governor

Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Ahsan H Mansur has said, “About 2.5 to 3 lakh crore taka has been laundered from the country. Among them, there are some big industrial groups in Chattogram. The money laundered by Beximco is about 50 thousand crore taka. These are only big groups. We are not looking at the small ones for now.” 

The governor said this at a press conference on money laundering prevention activities and contemporary banking organized at the central bank’s Chattogram branch on Friday.

“First, we will try to freeze the properties. We are talking to different countries, writing letters. We are talking to law firms. They will be hired soon. The properties will be frozen within the next six months. This will be the initial success”, he said. 

Stating that efforts are being made to bring the money back through negotiations rather than going through the court, Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur said, “All matters should not be settled through the court as it is out of court.”

The concept of recovering laundered money is new to policymakers and they are constantly learning from foreign law firms as well as government officials. The task of recovery is lengthy and complex, he noted.