Staff Correspondent

The interim government has said they remain committed to accountability and justice, and will be working with partners around the world to return the stolen funds to the people of Bangladesh.

"The theft of billions of dollars in public funds has left Bangladesh with a significant financial deficit," said the government in a statement issued by the Chief Adviser's press wing on Tuesday night.

The funds stolen from Bangladesh belong to its people, said the interim government, stressing that they will continue to work with their international partners to ensure that justice is done.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has already expressed the views of the vast majority of Bangladesh’s citizens.

He said property and assets tied to stolen Bangladeshi funds, including those linked to individuals with connections to the previous regime, must be investigated thoroughly.

"If proven to have benefited from embezzlement, we expect those assets to be returned to Bangladesh, where they rightfully belong."

As Prof Yunus told The Sunday Times of London, Tulip Siddiq may not have entirely understood the source of the money and property that she was enjoying in London, but she knows now and should seek forgiveness from the people of Bangladesh.

The interim government is actively working with international law enforcement agencies to investigate and recover funds stolen from the people of Bangladesh.

Such collaboration is vital to dismantle transnational networks of financial crime.

"We hope and expect all friendly governments, including the UK, to stand with the people of Bangladesh in seeking justice for these crimes," said the interim government, adding that corruption hurts everyone other than those who perpetrate it – and some of their favoured relatives and cronies.

The ongoing investigation into the $5 billion misappropriation linked to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant underscores the scale of corruption under the previous government, the statement reads.

The misuse of public resources in this and other projects has not only robbed the people of Bangladesh but also disrupted the country’s progress toward economic stability, said the interim government.