Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has said efforts to bring back laundered money are progressing through legal and institutional channels, though the process remains complex and time-consuming.

“Bringing the money back is not like calling up a Swiss bank and asking them to hand it over. It has to go through international legal and financial procedures,” he told reporters after a meeting of the Advisers Committee on Government Purchase at the Secretariat on Monday.

The adviser said discussions are underway with several international law firms and expressed hope of some results by February. Authorities have prioritised 11–12 major money laundering cases involving assets worth over Tk 200 crore.

Bangladesh Bank has frozen some assets abroad, identified foreign accounts, and collected details of passports and residency of those implicated.

He noted that asset recovery is complicated as those involved are often “shrewd and technically skilled.” However, he stressed that future governments would be bound to continue the ongoing processes.

On food security, Dr Salehuddin said rice imports from Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam have been approved as a precaution despite sufficient stockpiles. Fertiliser imports, especially urea and DAP, remain a priority, with global prices showing signs of easing.

Citing Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data, he said three in ten households face malnutrition and food insecurity.

To address this, he highlighted strengthened safety-net measures, including rice allocations for vulnerable groups such as coastal communities, haor residents, and fishermen during the upcoming fishing ban.