Bangladesh has requested the United Nations’ assistance in recovering assets smuggled abroad. The country also called for technological and policy support to implement ongoing reform initiatives effectively.

The matter was discussed on October 15 during a bilateral meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York between Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Md. Jasim Uddin, and UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Li Junhua.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recovering smuggled assets is a top priority for the government. The foreign secretary urged the UN to assist in curbing tax evasion and illicit financial flows.

The foreign secretary briefed the UN official on Bangladesh’s reform programs aligned with the aspirations of the “July-August Revolution.” He emphasized the need for UN support, particularly in ensuring accountability and transparency, drawing on the five decades of cooperation between Bangladesh and the UN.

He also stressed the importance of international support as Bangladesh transitions from LDC status and faces challenges in achieving the SDGs amid the global economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts.

 
Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua praised Bangladesh's leadership of the UN General Assembly’s Second Committee and assured full support from the UN Secretariat. He noted that the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs could assist Bangladesh in its reform efforts, particularly by enhancing institutional capacity and digital management.

Li highlighted that the transition from LDC status marks a new beginning and emphasized the need to maintain preferential support for countries graduating from LDCs. He also underscored the importance of the upcoming Fourth International Conference in Spain in 2025, which will focus on innovative financing, sustainable debt management, and reforms to global financial institutions to bolster development efforts.