Khairul Alam: The government has restructured an inter-agency task force aimed at repatriating and managing assets illegally transferred abroad.
A notification was issued by the Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance on Sunday regarding this restructuring, which comes after the task force was initially formed in January last year.
The new task force will be chaired by the Governor of Bangladesh Bank and will consist of nine members, including representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Law and Justice, Anti-Corruption Commission, Criminal Investigation Department of the Police, Attorney General’s Office, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate of the NBR, and a suitable representative from the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).
According to the notification, the task force’s responsibilities include identifying and investigating funds or assets illegally transferred from Bangladesh, providing assistance to relevant parties, identifying obstacles to the swift resolution of related legal cases, and taking initiatives to repatriate these assets back to Bangladesh.
It will also manage seized or recovered assets and liaise with foreign countries and organizations to gather information.
Additionally, the task force will work on enhancing the capabilities of involved parties and ensuring internal coordination.
Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank, Md. Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, will coordinate the activities of the task force, while the BFIU will provide necessary administrative support.
The task force can invite any relevant government or private members and request representatives or experts from domestic or foreign organizations to attend meetings and offer expert opinions or advice when needed.