Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Saturday (27 May) hoped that the new US visa policy will reduce the nefarious trend of siphoning off money to the US.
“US visas are usually sought by the affluent class like government employees, politicians, businessmen and some members of civil society. Those who can buy foreign education for their kids and own assets are the ones behind money laundering,” he told media after attending an event organised at the International Mother Language Institute.
“These people launder money from the country to invest in foreign assets,” he added while quipping that imposing restrictions on such people will save the country from losing money.
The government has no data on how much money is laundered abroad every year. But according to the US-based think-tank Global Financial Integrity, Bangladesh lost a whopping $49.65 billion or around Tk4,71,675 crore on an average between 2009 and 2015 (except the year 2014), mainly to trade misinvoicing and under-invoicing. On an average, around Tk84,475 crore was syphoned off the country each year during the period.
Govt readies strategy to recover laundered money Refuting the notion that the government might have been embarrassed over the new visa policy, the foreign minister said, “Issuing (US) visa is their (America’s) concern, not ours.”
“However, we would not entertain any hullabaloo in demand of US visa,” he added.
When asked if Indian and Saudi ambassadors were returned their special security protocol, Momen responded saying that there is no lack of security in the country.
He said, “No ambassador has yet applied for additional security. Besides, no foreign country has done any such wrongdoing that they would be a target of possible attacks. Thus, we are not worried about it.”
Noting that there have been no reports of attacks on ambassadors in recent times, Momen said the attack on the convoy of former US ambassador Marcia Bernicat was a result of a family crisis of Badiul Alam Majumdar (General Secretary of Shujan).”
