NBR traces Tk 40,000cr in suspected laundered assets abroad

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has detected nearly Tk 40,000 crore worth of assets amassed in various countries through illicit money transfers from Bangladesh, according to a press release issued by the Chief Adviser's Office today.

The revelation came from the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the NBR, which has conducted investigations in seven cities across five countries since January this year.

The findings were shared with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus by CIC Director General Ahsan Habib, the release said.

On Sunday, at the state guesthouse Jamuna, NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan and Habib presented the findings to the chief adviser.

In addition, 352 passports obtained by some Bangladeshis in exchange for money have been traced across nine countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, North Macedonia, Malta, Saint Lucia, and Turkey.

Based on information collected from various domestic sources, CIC agents carried out on-the-ground inspections in these countries to gather detailed data, the CIC director general said.

He added that the investigations are still ongoing.

"So far, we have traced 346 properties accumulated in the names of individuals and companies through money laundering from Bangladesh. This represents only a partial picture of our investigation," Habib said.