Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Dr Anisuzzaman Chowdhury on Sunday said strict measures are being taken against those who have embezzled bank funds over the last 16 years, warning that no one will be spared.
Dr Chowdhury made the comment in an exclusive interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) at the Ministry of Finance in the Secretariat.
He said many of those who embezzled bank funds have already been arrested, while others remain under surveillance.
Referring to the arrest of former Janata Bank chairman Abul Barkat, he said loans granted during Barkat’s tenure are under the government’s scrutiny.
“Every penny will be taken into account. Those who have committed large-scale financial crimes through irregularities and corruption won’t be spared,” he added.
Dr Chowdhury, who oversees the Ministry of Finance, said not only Janata Bank but all banks are under scrutiny.
“The nation will be informed in a timely manner about all developments,” he said.
Mentioning that the interim government has been signing mutual legal assistance agreements with various countries to curb money laundering, Dr Chowdhury said: “We’ll make such laws so that anyone attempting to launder money abroad in the future will think ten times before acting. They won’t be spared in any way.”
He added that a high-level committee, led by the Bangladesh Bank governor, is working in this regard.
The special assistant said all-out efforts will be made to recover siphoned-off funds regardless of which country they have gone to. “The thing is that we’ve to make separate agreements with each country. That is why it is taking some time,” he said.
Noting the challenges of retrieving laundered money from countries like Switzerland, the UAE, Qatar, Singapore, the United States, Canada and the UK, Dr Chowdhury said different legal systems make the process difficult. In some countries, launderers are even offered citizenship or residency.
However, he said Bangladesh’s greatest strength is Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus. “He enjoys immense international respect. When he requests assistance for Bangladesh, no country can refuse. That is our big weapon,” he added.
Dr Chowdhury claimed that under Yunus’s leadership, the interim government is on the verge of financial successes.
He said that while revolutions in other countries often lead to GDP decline, rising unemployment and higher poverty, Bangladesh has avoided those outcomes. “By the grace of Almighty Allah, that has not happened in our country. Our GDP didn’t go negative,” he said.
Acknowledging some slowdown, he stressed that poverty levels remain lower than in many countries. “Our economic team has been successful. We’re one of the few countries that can loudly claim that even after an uprising our situation remains comparatively strong,” he added.
Dr Chowdhury termed the separation of the National Board of Revenue’s (NBR) policy-making and revenue-collection roles “epoch-making and very necessary,” saying it removed a conflict of interest.
On alleged bribery and corruption in customs, he said these cannot be stopped by laws alone. “Caution must be exercised in giving postings. At the same time, religious and moral issues must be brought to the attention of officials,” he said.
He noted that reforms in the financial sector are ongoing and will soon become visible.
On fears of rising medicine prices after Bangladesh graduates from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026, he said the impact will be minimal. He explained that 85% of locally produced medicines are generic with expired patents, while Bangladesh is already part of the global value chain for patented drugs.
Issuing a stern warning, Dr Chowdhury said: “One important task is to make those sleepless who will launder money in the future. Anyone contemplating such acts will be forced to think ten times. They won’t have the audacity anymore to launder money.”
