The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh has decided to join forces with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States in a bid to recover money siphoned abroad. This decision was made during a meeting held yesterday between the ACC’s money laundering and legal divisions and a delegation from the FBI, according to sources familiar with the discussion.
The meeting, which took place at the ACC headquarters, led to an initial agreement to establish a joint task force aimed at combating money laundering. The FBI delegation, led by Legal Attaché Robert Cameron, arrived in Dhaka on Sunday, accompanied by Muhammad Aminul Islam, a police liaison specialist. Cameron refrained from speaking to the media following the meeting.
An ACC official who attended the meeting disclosed that discussions primarily focused on forming the joint task force and seeking FBI assistance in recovering laundered funds. "We have requested the FBI's expertise to aid in retrieving the illicit money," the official said. The possibility of the FBI directly participating in the task force was also discussed, with the initial agreement being that the FBI would serve as a consultant on the task force.
The two sides also explored the potential of signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the ACC and the FBI to formalize the cooperation.
Following the meeting, ACC Secretary Khorsheda Yasmeen briefed reporters, describing the gathering as a "courtesy meeting." She added, "The FBI officials wanted to understand how the ACC operates, and they have assured us that they are ready to provide support in recovering laundered money if needed."
In a related development, Commerce Adviser Saleh Uddin Ahmed announced on Sunday plans to establish a special task force dedicated to recovering laundered funds. He mentioned that work is underway to draft guidelines for the task force, including the selection criteria for its members.
ACC insiders revealed that the task force will likely consist of representatives from various government agencies, including Bangladesh Bank, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, the Finance Division, the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the Attorney General’s Office, and the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission.
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