ZCZC
BSS-24
APG-BANGLADESH
APG lauds Bangladesh for anti-money laundering initiatives
DHAKA, July 7, 2019 (BSS) – The Asia Pacific Group on money laundering (APG) has lauded
Bangladesh for its significant progress against most of the ‘action items’ of money laundering.
Out of 99 action items, Bangladesh has made significant progress against most of those,
including the amendment and enactment of legal instruments, establishment of AML (anti-money
laundering) and asset management wings in different law enforcements agencies, establishment of
special courts for money laundering and terrorist financing cases.
APG today expressed their satisfaction when its delegation, headed by Director of Mutual
Evaluation David Shannon, met the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on prevention of Money
Laundering (ML) and Terrorist Financing (TF) as part of Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP)
mission at Finance Ministry in the city, said a press release.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq presided over the meeting while
Financial Institutions Division Senior Secretary Md Ashadul Islam delivered welcome remarks.
David Shannon briefed about the mission objectives and commended the progress made by
Bangladesh on the action plan. He also identified some areas of improvements.
Anisul Huq thanked the APG delegates for their assistance to improve the AML or CFT regime in
Bangladesh.
He mentioned that after mutual evaluation based on the draft Mutual Evaluation Report, draft
detail action plan was approved by NCC and then submitted to the APG.
“The action plan was very much comprehensive, time bound and based on the APG assessment.
With the firm political commitment of Bangladesh government relevant agencies are working on the
action plan and since then, NCC has established effective monitoring mechanism of the plan,” he
added.
Head of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) Abu Hena Mohd Razee Hassan spoke in the
meeting about the progress made by Bangladesh since its adoption of the action plan.
In his feedback on the action plan, David Shannon lauded the high-level commitment of NCC and
expressed his satisfaction over the progress made by Bangladesh.
He said Bangladesh is the leader in the region in terms of AML or CFT issues and mentioned
the significant contribution of Bangladesh in the international arena, like APG, FATF and Egmont
Groups initiatives to fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.
He proposed some technical assistance in establishing asset management mechanism. He also
informed the NCC that due to the push of global forum, like FATF and APG, some secrecy
jurisdictions are sharing information with other jurisdictions on ML or TF.
Chairman of Anti-Corruption Commission Iqbal Mahmud and Governor of Bangladesh Bank Fazle
Kabir, among others, highlighted the progress in their concerned sectors and further committed
to implement the action plans of the recommendations.
BSS/PR/KUC/GA/1858 hrs