Recovering smuggled assets top priority: Chief adviser

Recovering smuggled assets from abroad is currently one of the top priorities, said interim government Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus. He made the statement while addressing the 80th United Nations General Assembly session in New York after 9pm Bangladesh time on Friday.

The chief adviser said, “Recovering the illicitly smuggled assets of the nation is one of our top priorities. Over the past 15 years, hundreds of millions of dollars have been illegally siphoned abroad through corruption. We are relentlessly trying to bring these assets back, but legal complexities and other obstacles in the host countries have hindered our efforts. Without their firm goodwill, we will not succeed.”

He added, “The current global financial system has failed to effectively prevent this illicit outflow of wealth from developing countries. In some cases, the rules of international financial institutions even encourage the transfer of vast sums into tax havens. Therefore, I call upon those countries and institutions that provide shelter for these assets—not to be complicit in this crime, but to return the resources to their rightful owners—the farmers, workers, and ordinary taxpayers.”

Recalling last year’s address, Dr Yunus said, “I stood before this great assembly to express the aspirations of a nation undergoing a mass uprising. Today, I stand to report how far we have advanced in this journey of transformation.”

He stressed, “Nearly 3 out of every 100 people in the world live in Bangladesh. While the country’s geo-political position is important, the real significance of its story lies in fostering faith in the extraordinary power of ordinary people and in inspiring hope across all nations that no crisis is ever without a solution.”