Bangladesh News

For the first time in the country’s history, the government has retrieved Tk 270 crore of illegal money from seven businessmen and is expecting to recover around Tk 3,000 crore more soon.

In the face of the government’s anti-corruption drive conducted by the joint forces, these businessmen have paid the amount through several pay orders in local currency, banking sources said.

Sources said this is also the first time the government exchequer has collected money recovered after being pilfered from the public coffers. The central bank will consider the recovered money as “non-tax revenue”.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) yesterday informed the finance ministry that the money has been deposited in the government account.

Meanwhile, the recovered money directly contributed to the improvement of the government’s borrowing status, bringing it down to Tk 4,300 crore on Monday from Tk 4,700 crore in the first week of this month, according to BB sources.

Of the seven businessmen who deposited the amount through pay-orders, the names of three could be learnt. They are Anis Ahmed Gorki of MGH Group–business partner of former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s son and BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman, Nader Khan whose identity details were not available, and Salman Ispahani of the Ispahani Group. But, talking to The Daily Star, Salman Ispahani refuted the BB report, claiming that he did not deposit any money.

Gorki was earlier arrested and subsequently released upon his promise to cooperate in refunding the money gained through ill means.

A larger chunk of the retrieved Tk 270 crore consists of illegal money involving one single deal–the sale of 17 large tea gardens and other assets of the UK-based company to a group of eight leading local entrepreneurs for Tk 380 crore.

It is alleged that the actual price was never disclosed and the payment was made through an unofficial channel illegally.

Sources said following clues from top graft suspects, the joint forces interrogated many businessmen accused of being involved with high profile financial crimes.

Based on the primary findings, the joint forces believe the government can retrieve another Tk 3,000 crore, which was illegally transferred abroad, with a portion remaining inside the country.

Many of the corruption suspects have promised the government that they would pay it in US dollars through cheques to be deposited in the central bank.

The BB received Tk 230 crore as pay orders from the seven businessmen last week. It received another Tk 40 crore as pay orders yesterday, central bank sources said.

A source, however, said, “This recovery is almost nothing. But this proves the level of corruption in Bangladesh during the alliance government’s rule.”

When the joint forces launched the anti-corruption drive in February, the USA and the UK offered the government expertise help in investigating international financial crime, he added. But, for some unknown reasons, the government has not yet taken that help and meanwhile the anti-corruption drive has dramatically slowed down, he said.

“The recovery has been made despite the government’s weaknesses in investigating financial crimes. Imagine what we could achieve if we had the expertise,” the official said.

Maj Gen Masud Uddin Chowdhury, chief of the National Coordination Committee on combating corruption and crime, told the press after a meeting at the Anti-Corruption Commission on April 18, “The taskforce members from the army, navy and the air force do not have that kind of experience in investigations. This has specially affected the pace of the progress of investigations.” He added that a move was being made to develop the expertise of the investigators.

The sale deal of foreign tea company, which has been producing tea since the time of British rule in the subcontinent, was secretly made in January last year.