The interim government on Sunday reconstituted the national taskforce on repatriating stolen assets with the Bangladesh Bank governor replacing the attorney general at the top.
The attorney general had been steering the taskforce since 2013, according to central bank officials.
A representative from the Attorney General Office would participate in the reconstituted taskforce, said Bangladesh Bank officials, referring to a statutory regulatory order from the Financial Institutions Division on the day.
The interim government, which succeeded the ousted political regime led by Awami League on August 8 amid a student-led mass uprising, has also reduced the size of the task force making it a nine-strong body which previously had 14 members.
The downsized taskforce retains representatives from the foreign and law ministries, Financial Institutions Division, Anti-Corruption Commission, police, customs, and Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit.
The reconstitution of the taskforce came amid expectations that initiatives will increase to bring back money smuggled from the country by oligarchs of the immediate past government.
The main responsibilities of the reconstituted taskforce include identification of stolen assets from Bangladesh and assist related bodies to recover those. The committee will recommend measures for speedy disposal of stolen assets related cases and take steps to bring confiscated assets from abroad.
It will also maintain connections with foreign countries and remain involved in the management of the repatriated assets.
The taskforce that has been empowered to co-opt necessary members would be assisted by central bank deputy governor Md Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, said聽 Bangladesh Bank officials.
