UK lawyers appointed to recover stolen assets: Bnagladesh CA

Onlinedesk: Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has confirmed that the interim government has appointed UK-based lawyers to recover funds allegedly siphoned off from Bangladesh during the previous administration.

He also noted strong support from the British government in the ongoing effort.

“I have a lot of admiration for the promptness with which they’re treating the whole subject,” Prof Yunus said in an interview with the BBC during his recent UK visit.

According to the report, the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC), hosted by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), is exploring ways to assist the Bangladeshi authorities in investigating corruption allegations linked to the tenure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh estimates that approximately $234 billion (around £174 billion) was illicitly transferred abroad during that period, with a significant portion suspected to have been laundered or spent in the UK.

While the NCA declined to comment on specific investigations, a spokesperson stated that the agency does not routinely confirm the nature of international cooperation.

During his UK visit, Prof Yunus met King Charles at Buckingham Palace and held discussions with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds in Parliament. In a post on X, Reynolds said they shared views on “economic growth, job creation, and prosperity.”

However, Prof Yunus noted that a meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer could not be arranged. “It’s a missed opportunity,” he said, though he acknowledged the prime minister may have been occupied with other priorities.

Prof Yunus returned to Dhaka on Saturday morning after a four-day official visit, which, according to officials, marked progress toward stronger Dhaka-London cooperation on asset recovery and broader bilateral ties.