Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has embarked on a four-phase strategy to repatriate illicitly transferred funds by the end of 2025.
The initiative, divided across the four quarters of the year, aims to identify, investigate, and reclaim misappropriated money through coordinated legal and judicial processes.
According to BFIU sources, the first phase (January–March) is dedicated to identifying the siphoned funds, followed by the initiation of legal proceedings in the second phase (April–June).
The judicial process will commence in the third quarter (July–September), culminating in the final phase by December, when efforts will be made to recover the laundered money.
As part of this initiative, the government has established a task force and a Joint Investigation Team (JIT), with BFIU serving as the secretariat for both.
The JIT comprises key agencies, including the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the National Board of Revenue (NBR), and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
To facilitate operations, 11 specialised teams have been formed, each assigned dedicated office space within Bangladesh Bank to ensure confidentiality.
In a further step towards efficiency, financial expert Ifti Islam has been appointed as a consultant to coordinate the initiative from the United Kingdom.
Additionally, international organisations, including the World Bank, are providing support to strengthen the efforts.
A senior BFIU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that both the government and the governor of Bangladesh Bank are making every possible effort to recover the illicitly transferred funds.
"We are following the methodologies adopted by countries that have successfully repatriated laundered money. Several individuals who have siphoned off over BDT 200 crore have already been identified, and legal proceedings are set to commence. While full recovery may take time, we expect to reclaim at least a portion of the funds by December," the official remarked.
