HC seeks details on Bangladeshis who laundered, deposited money in foreign banks
The High Court today wanted to know the details, including names and addresses, of Bangladeshi nationals and organisations who have laundered and deposited money with foreign banks, including those in Switzerland, and what steps have been taken against them.
The court asked the authorities concerned of the government and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to submit before it -- by March 30 -- the lists of names, addresses and status of the persons and organisations and to report on the steps taken against them.
In response to a writ petition, the HC issued a rule asking the authorities to explain in four weeks why their inaction to recover the money laundered from the country should not be declared illegal.
In the rule, the court also asked the authorities to show cause as to why they should not be ordered to constitute a special investigation team to find out Bangladeshi nationals' illegal money deposited with foreign banks.
At the same time, the HC ordered the government to explain why it should not be recommended to reform the relevant laws in order to recover the huge amount of money laundered from the country and deposited with the foreign banks.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim came up with the order and rule after hearing a writ petition filed for bringing back the money laundered from the country.
The bench set March 30 for further hearing on the issue.
During the hearing, lawyer Abdul Qaium Khan, one of the petitioners, told the court that money laundering from the county has gone up at an alarming rate in recent years.
Names of different Bangladeshi persons and companies have been reportedly published in Panama Papers and Paradise Papers for depositing huge amounts of money with foreign banks, but no inquiry was conducted into the allegations, he said.
The authorities concerned, including the ACC and Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, have failed miserably to prevent money laundering and bring back the money to the country, the lawyer argued.
Lawyer Qaium Khan said names of India's 426 citizens and companies were published in Panama papers and Paradise Papers and probes were reportedly conducted.
ACC's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan opposed the writ petition, saying that name of Abdul Awal Mintoo, owners of Multimode Group, has been published in Panama Papers and an inquiry is being conducted by the ACC into the matter.
The authorities concerned of the ACC and government are working for bringing back the money that was laundered and deposited with foreign banks and framing a work plan to this effect is under process.
Lawyers Abdul Qaium Khan and Subir Nandi Das, filed the writ petition with the HC as a public interest litigation on February 1, seeking its directive on the authorities to take steps to bring back the money that Bangladeshi nationals and organisations laundered abroad.