After 5 August 2024, Bangladesh has faced a different reality. As the country attempts to navigate a new direction through political upheaval, administrative reorganisation, and policy reassessment, numerous sensitive economic data and complex questions have surfaced.

A white paper released by the new government attempts to highlight these issues with statistics and evidence. It officially acknowledges that a large sum of illicit funds was siphoned abroad, exploiting weaknesses in the banking sector, foreign exchange system, and weak control structures. This money laundering is not an isolated crime but rather the result of long-standing institutional failure, political patronage, weak regulation, and gaps in banking governance. The picture presented in the white paper is alarming. From under or over-invoicing in imports and exports, fake loans, shell companies, anonymous accounts, offshore banking structures, to the misuse of remittance systems—all contributed to making money laundering a systemic problem.

The most unfortunate aspect is that not only criminal groups but also various parts of the state have played a direct or indirect supportive role in this process. Consequently, questions arise about who holds responsibility in such a reality. Who will recover the vast amounts laundered over the past decade? How will it be recovered, and is it even possible? Furthermore, who will lead the recovery initiative?