Government to commission inquiry into financial crimes during Awami League rule

A whitepaper report says $234 billion was laundered from Bangladesh through 28 methods of corruption over the past decade and a half

The interim government has decided to form a committee to look into different financial crimes carried out during the Awami League regime that collapsed in August after a 15-year rule.

Environment Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan said the decision came at a meeting of the advisory council on Thursday.

According to a report forwarded earlier by the whitepaper framing committee, $234 billion have been laundered from Bangladesh involving 28 methods of alleged corruption over the past decade and a half.

Allegations of money laundering and embezzlement of huge amounts of loans from banks during the previous government have been rife.

According to these allegations, a single group took over the ownership of at least seven banks and brought those to the cusp of bankruptcy through illegal loans.

Money laundering charges against ministers, MPs and close businessmen of the Awami League government have also emerged.

Earlier, the interim government formed a white paper committee to review the state of the economy of Bangladesh.

A report from the committee estimated that an average of $16 billion had been embezzled and laundered annually during the rule of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The report added that frequent loan defaults and major scandals destroyed the stability of the financial sector and diverted capital from the productive sectors.

About Tk 13.5 trillion was moved in the last decade through hundi transactions in the migration sector, which is four times the cost of the metro rail project stretching from Motijheel to Uttara, it alleged.

On Thursday, Rizwana said, “Many ordinances were discussed in the advisory council today. Among these were the Government Accounts Audit Ordinance, the Bank Resolution Ordinance, and the Revenue Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance.

“During the discussion on the ordinances, it was decided that a committee would be formed to start the trial process of those involved in financial crimes or economic crimes.

“The preliminary work has been done. Now a committee has been formed to start the investigation into those involved in financial crimes.”

She, however, did not provide detailed information on who would be on this committee or what their scope of work would be.