Bangladesh has decided to amend the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012 to make it more time-appropriate and effective, as part of intensified efforts to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing and to recover assets siphoned off abroad.
The decision was taken at the 30th meeting of the National Coordination Committee on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), held Wednesday with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair.
The meeting reviewed progress made by joint probe and investigation teams formed to pursue 11 priority cases identified for the recovery of laundered money and assets from abroad.
Officials informed the meeting that 104 cases have so far been filed in connection with these priority cases, charge sheets submitted in 14 cases, and verdicts delivered in four cases.
The committee was told that authorities have attached and frozen movable and immovable assets worth Tk 55,638 crore within the country and Tk 10,508 crore abroad, bringing the total value of seized and frozen assets to Tk 66,146 crore.
In addition, 21 Mutual Legal Assistance Requests (MLARs) have been sent to concerned countries in relation to the 11 priority cases.
The meeting directed all relevant agencies to expedite the submission of charge sheets, promptly send MLARs to foreign jurisdictions, and take effective steps to ensure speedy disposal of cases linked to the priority asset-recovery drives.
The committee also discussed Bangladesh’s preparedness for the fourth round of Mutual Evaluation by the Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), scheduled for the 2027–28 period to assess the country’s compliance with international AML/CFT standards.
Terming the evaluation a top-priority national task, the meeting instructed all concerned ministries, divisions and agencies to undertake necessary preparations well in advance.
Senior officials present at the meeting included the Anti-Corruption Commission chairman, the principal secretary to the Chief Adviser’s Office, the Bangladesh Bank governor, the finance secretary, secretaries of the Financial Institutions Division, National Board of Revenue and Commerce Ministry, the legislative and parliamentary affairs secretary, the BSEC chairman, the foreign secretary (bilateral), an additional attorney general, the CID chief, and representatives from the Home Ministry, Bangladesh Police and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).