State minister for finance and planning MA Mannan told parliament on Wednesday that the government asked the Bangladesh Bank to examine the news of siphoning of $9 billion from the country and to take proper action accordingly. In absence of finance minister AMA Muhith, the state minister replied to a supplementary question from Jatiya Party lawmaker Pir Fazlur Rahman saying that the central bank would take proper steps against the money laundering.
He said that the government would extend its overall assistance to the central bank to this end so that the government could take steps to prevent such money laundering.
Mentioning that media reports claimed that $9 billion was siphoned off from the country in 2014 as per a study conducted by Washington-based Global Financial Integrity, Fazlur Rahman asked what steps were being taken by the government to prevent looting and laundering of money.
Mannan said that they were not rejecting the information of siphoning off the money.
The state minister said that there was Financial Intelligence Unit at the central bank to collect and examine such information.
The government will take cautionary measures to prevent such laundering, he added.
He, however, said that many misleading information alongside genuine ones also came out in this age of free flow of information.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal faction lawmaker Mayeenuddin Khan Badal on a point of order urged the finance minister to come up in parliament with his reply keeping aside other activities.
He said that Bangladesh would not be able to become a middle income country from lower middle income one if such money laundering was not stopped.
‘We will remain hostage to money laundering if we cannot stop siphoning of money. The money launderers will purchase law and parliament,’ he warned.
He said that it was unfortunate that such incidents of money laundering took place during the past eight years of Awami League’s rule.
He also regretted the finance minister’s remarks that the hands of money launderers were very long.
He said that the government would extend its overall assistance to the central bank to this end so that the government could take steps to prevent such money laundering.
Mentioning that media reports claimed that $9 billion was siphoned off from the country in 2014 as per a study conducted by Washington-based Global Financial Integrity, Fazlur Rahman asked what steps were being taken by the government to prevent looting and laundering of money.
Mannan said that they were not rejecting the information of siphoning off the money.
The state minister said that there was Financial Intelligence Unit at the central bank to collect and examine such information.
The government will take cautionary measures to prevent such laundering, he added.
He, however, said that many misleading information alongside genuine ones also came out in this age of free flow of information.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal faction lawmaker Mayeenuddin Khan Badal on a point of order urged the finance minister to come up in parliament with his reply keeping aside other activities.
He said that Bangladesh would not be able to become a middle income country from lower middle income one if such money laundering was not stopped.
‘We will remain hostage to money laundering if we cannot stop siphoning of money. The money launderers will purchase law and parliament,’ he warned.
He said that it was unfortunate that such incidents of money laundering took place during the past eight years of Awami League’s rule.
He also regretted the finance minister’s remarks that the hands of money launderers were very long.
Source: New Age