Staff Correspondent

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today directed the authorities concerned to enhance efforts to bring back the laundered money to the country.

He came up with the directives at a meeting on prevention of money laundering at the State Guest House Jamuna here.

Chaired by Prof Yunus, the meeting was attended, among others, by Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur, Chief Adviser's Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) chief, the home secretary and the finance secretary.

About the outcomes of the meeting, CA’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said during the meeting, Prof Yunus mentioned that the money laundered abroad was the money of the countrymen, asking the authorities concerned to return the money as soon as possible.

The chief adviser said a high-powered meeting on recovery of laundered money will be held each month, while he has called another meeting on the issue after Eid-ul-Fitr to know about the progress of the recovery of stolen money, Alam said

Prof Yunus also directed to identify the details of the laundered money, he said, giving an example that it was found that one person siphoned off about Taka 400-500 crore per year, showing tuition fee of his or her son who was studying abroad.

Replying to a question, he said the chief adviser asserted that the returning of the laundered money is the government's top priority and it must be brought back at any cost.

Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretaries Abul Kalam Azad and Apurba Jahangir and Assistant Press Secretary Suchismita Tithi were present at the briefing.