Bangladesh’s interim government is preparing a fresh national strategy to combat money laundering and illicit financial outflows, officials have confirmed.

Titled National Strategy for Preventing Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism 2025–2028, the upcoming plan will incorporate stricter provisions, including steps to recover siphoned-off funds, streamline investigations, and modernise border controls.

The Financial Institutions Division (FID) is set to form a high-level committee with input from all stakeholders. The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), which prepared three earlier strategies, will lead the drafting process.

Despite progress under the 2019–2021 strategy—where 69% of 137 action items were implemented—several items remain outstanding and will be carried over to the new plan. Officials blame the previous Sheikh Hasina administration for procedural delays that stalled the implementation of the 2015–2017 strategy.

The new approach aims to prioritise confiscation tools, enhance financial investigations, and prevent illicit proceeds from entering the financial system.

A senior finance ministry official said the interim government is especially focused on tracing and recovering assets reportedly laundered abroad during the previous regime.

“The new strategy will ensure better compliance and enforcement of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulations,” said a BFIU official.

The strategy is expected to be adopted soon, signalling a renewed push by the interim government to strengthen financial integrity and transparency.