Bangladesh has seized assets totaling 760 billion taka (roughly $6.2 billion) linked to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her family, and ten business conglomerates, according to officials on Wednesday.
Since Hasina was ousted during a student-led mass uprising in 2024 and fled to India, authorities have scrutinized her wealth, investigating her relatives and major corporations accused of benefiting during her 15-year, autocratic leadership.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit reported confiscating 570 billion taka within the country and an additional 190 billion taka abroad.
Its director, Ikhtiar Mohammad Mamun, told media while presenting their annual review that 98 cases had been initiated as part of these investigations involving Hasina and her affiliates.
“We are actively working to recover money laundered overseas,” Mamun stated. “We aim to provide positive updates before the year ends.”
Since her departure, Hasina has been convicted in absentia in multiple cases, including charges of corruption related to land allocations in a high-end district of Dhaka. Courts have also sentenced her to death over crimes against humanity.
She has been residing in India since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024 and recently expressed intentions to return by year’s end.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed emphasized that the government, which has requested her extradition, is determined to ensure she faces justice.
“The verdict will be enforced. The court will determine if there is an avenue for appeal,” he asserted.