The interim government hired lawyers to try to recover any allegedly stolen funds from the UK, and the British government was “extremely supportive” of this effort, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has said.
“I have a lot of admiration for the promptness with which they’re treating the whole subject,” Yunus told BBC in an interview during his recent visit to the United Kingdom.
The BBC report says it understands the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC) is exploring opportunities to assist Bangladesh’s interim government and its law enforcement agencies in their efforts to investigate allegations of corruption under Sheikh Hasina’s rule.
The Bangladesh authorities estimate that about $234 billion (£174 billion) was siphoned off from Bangladesh through corrupt means when Hasina was in power.
The authorities allege that much of this money has been stashed or spent in the UK, reports BBC.
The IACCC is hosted by the National Crime Agency in London. “The NCA does not routinely comment on the nature of international assistance, nor confirm or deny if the Agency has opened an investigation or is supporting a partner’s investigation,” BBC quoted an NCA spokesperson as saying.
Yunus did have an audience with King Charles at Buckingham Palace and met Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds in Parliament.
In a post on X, Reynolds said they discussed “shared ambitions for economic growth, job creation and prosperity”.
The chief adviser said he had not been able to arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a close friend and constituency neighbour of Tulip Siddiq.
“I don’t know whether I should be disappointed or he should be disappointed. It’s a missed opportunity,” he told BBC.
“That’s why I’m saying coming to Bangladesh would be a good opportunity to relax and see and feel the moment.”
When asked if Downing Street had given a reason for not scheduling a meeting with Starmer, he said, “I don’t think we have received an explanation from that kind of thing. Probably he is busy with other important things.”
Yunus arrived in Dhaka on Saturday morning, wrapping up his four-day visit that witnessed a series of meetings highlighting broader and deeper Dhaka-London relations.
