Prime minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday told the Jatiya Sangsad that legal action was under way to recover laundered funds from 11 priority cases identified by a Bangladesh Bank-led taskforce, involving deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her associates and major business groups, including S Alam, Beximco and Bashundhara.
He made the remarks in the Jatiya Sangsad while responding to a question from lawmaker Md Kamruzzaman regarding the recovery of an estimated $234 billion allegedly transferred abroad.
The prime minister said that the cases involved prominent individuals and business groups, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her family and associated entities, as well as major conglomerates such as S Alam Group, Beximco Group, Sikder Group, Bashundhara Group, Nassa Group, Orion Group, Nabil Group, Summit Group, and former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and Awami League leader and businessman HBM Iqbal and his associates.
He said that of the 10 countries initially identified as destinations for laundered funds, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, three countries — Malaysia, Hong Kong and the UAE — had agreed to sign agreements.
The PM said that the process of signing agreements with the remaining seven countries was going on.
Tarique said that 11 joint investigation teams had been formed under the leadership of the Anti-Corruption Commission, with participation from the Criminal Investigation Department of Bangladesh Police, the National Board of Revenue’s Central Intelligence Cell, and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, to probe the priority cases.
He said that, as of March 25, courts had ordered the attachment or freezing of assets worth approximately Tk 5,71,168.09 crore within Bangladesh, while overseas assets valued at Tk 13,278.13 crore had also been frozen or attached, bringing the total restrained assets to Tk 7,04,446.22 crore at home and abroad.
The prime minister said that the government had filed 141 cases in connection with money laundering, of which 15 had seen charge sheets submitted and six had received verdicts.
He said that the government’s election manifesto had emphasised the publication of a comprehensive white paper on money laundering and corruption during the Awami League regime, which was ousted on August 5, 2024, in the wake of a mass uprising, along with taking legal action against those identified as responsible.
Tarique said that a Stolen Asset Recovery Division had been established under the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit on February 22 to strengthen efforts.
The PM said that an estimated $234 billion had been illicitly transferred out of Bangladesh between 2009 and 2023, averaging about $16 billion annually, according to a white paper committee formed by the interim government, which assumed power after the AL ouster and ended its tenure on March 17.
Tarique said that that authorities were working with foreign jurisdictions to trace and recover these assets through enhanced information exchange and legal cooperation.
Amid a demand supported by most of the lawmakers in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, the prime minister and the leader of the House said that the government would soon appoint new dealers and distributors of fertiliser across the country.
During the 19th sitting of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad›s first session, treasury bench chief whip Nurul Islam Moni sought the prime minister’s suggestion about the fate of the existing dealers and distributors who he said were appointed by the ousted Awami League regime.
Nurul claimed that the existing dealers might have created artificial shortage of fertiliser to hamper agriculture.
When Nurul was raising his concerns, lawmakers from treasury and opposition benches supported him by thumping the table.
Replying to him as the leader of the House, Tarique said, ‘As most of the lawmakers want new appointments, the government will soon take necessary measures.’
Later, Mymensingh-10 lawmaker Mohammed Akteruzzaman raised the same issue in an urgent public importance notice under the section 71 of the rules of procedure.
He said, ‘During the tenure of the previous fascist government, fertiliser dealers were appointed across the country on partisan considerations, and many of these dealers are now absconding.’
Seeking attention of the agriculture minister, he requested appointment of new dealers nationwide to ensure an uninterrupted supply of fertiliser to farmers.
Responding to him, agriculture minister Amin Ur Rashid cited the implementation of Integrated Fertiliser Dealer Appointment and Distribution Policy 2025, which took effect on November 16, 2025 and was designed to curb unregulated retailing and dismantle fertiliser price syndicates.
‘Under the new policy, no outsider can be appointed as the dealer for a union parishad-based agriculture block,’ the minister said.
The new policy, which replaced the 2009 framework, eliminated sub-dealers and retailers from April 1 this year and allowed a maximum of three dealers in each union and municipality.
Each dealer must set up a sales centre at every ward and handle distribution by themselves, instead of retailers, to ensure timely delivery to farmers.
If necessary, district-level fertiliser distribution and monitoring committees led by deputy commissioners, may appoint dealers in city corporation areas.
The previous 2009 policy allowed one dealer and an unspecified number of retailers in each union and municipality.
Farmers had long alleged that the previous system let dealers and their allied retailers artificially create shortages by hoarding and inflating prices.
The new policy bars the appointment of dealers from the same family, as well as public servants and elected representatives.
