Even if authorities fail to recover the money laundered by corrupt individuals during the Awami League regime, officials will take adequate legal steps to ensure the launderers are always on the run, newly appointed Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur said Wednesday.

“The launderers won’t be allowed to sleep in peace,” the central bank chief said suggesting money laundering during the last 15 years is chiefly responsible for the present dire situation in the banking sector.

He was speaking at a press conference at the central bank on his first day in office.

Recently resigned and some existing Bangladesh Bank officials also played a role in supporting laundering and other irregularities, the veteran economist alleged warning that everyone responsible for such crimes would face punishment.

Inflation is the main challenge facing monetary policymakers and efforts would be taken to gradually lower consumer prices, Dr Ahsan said.

Questions were raised against one or two recent chiefs of Bangladesh Bank, which is very sad as such was not the case before, Dr Ahsan said.

UNB adds:

Dr Ahsan emphasized that the fight against money laundering will not be limited to the efforts of the government or Bangladesh Bank alone. He stressed the importance of international collaboration in bringing perpetrators to justice. “International law is helpful; it must be explored,” he said.

Acknowledging the challenges within the central bank itself, Dr Ahsan highlighted existing weaknesses in the country’s economic sector. He made it clear that there is no longer any room for concealment or manipulation of reports within the institution. “Now there is no scope to keep any central bank report, or audit report in the drawer. There is no scope for any kind of data manipulation,” he said.

In his address, Dr Ahsan also outlined his priorities for the central bank, including efforts to reduce inflation, maintain sustainable foreign exchange reserves, and ensure the stability of the forex market.

The press conference was attended by deputy governors, the central bank’s spokesperson, and senior officials.