LAUNDERED MONEY
Lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties on Sunday heavily criticised the proposal to legalise laundered money in the parliament.

They came down hard on finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal for the move in the proposed budget for the 2022–23 financial year.

Jatiya Party lawmaker for Sunamganj Pir Fazlur Rahman demanded legal actions against those who have laundered money from the country.

‘Legal actions should be taken against those who have looted and smuggled out money abroad,’ he said, adding, ‘Otherwise, there is no need for an anti-money laundering law.’

‘Money laundering has also increased.  The finance minister has tried to save the lives of people through the budget during this corona period.  On the other hand, thousands of crores of taka have been smuggled out of this country, which he could not stop,’ Fazlur Rahman observed.

Steps have been taken, he said, to indemnify those who have stolen and smuggled money abroad.

‘This is not supportable at all,’ he said.

The finance minister, Fazlur Rahman further said, should have, meanwhile, prevented money smuggling but he has failed.

He went on to say that if laundered money was legally allowed to return to Bangladesh, then money laundering laws were not needed in the country.

People suspect that a large group of people is waiting to smuggle out money abroad and their ill motive will be successful, he remarked.

‘This will encourage people to earn money by illegal means,’ he added.

The same party’s lawmaker for Gaibandha, Shameem Haider Patwary, asked the finance minister to rethink the matter.

He questioned the fate of ongoing money laundering cases after the passage of this amnesty.

‘There should be a policy that this amnesty cannot be availed by any one if there is any specific allegation of money laundering against him or her,’ he said.

The lawmaker pointed out that such amnesty had been offered in India but to no avail.

Gonoforum lawmaker for Sylhet Mokabbir Khan demanded punishment for the top 12 corrupt people of the country.

‘If this is done, we will be able to bring down the corruption in the country to 50 per cent. Otherwise, I will resign from the parliament,’ he said.

He also alleged that the government was taking action against some small fries like clerks and drivers.

‘But the authority has no courage to touch the big corrupt persons who have made thousands of crores of taka staying in high positions,’ he said.

Ruling Awami League lawmaker for Cumilla Pran Gopal Dutta requested the finance minister to revise the proposal to offer amnesty to the money launderers.

‘This will have no positive impact. If those who have siphoned off money abroad were honest would have kept the money in the country,’ he observed.

The finance minister should remember that ‘thieves never listen to the religious edict’, he added.