Bangladesh Seizes $6.2 Billion in Assets Linked to Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina

Authorities confiscate assets worth around US$6.2 billion as corruption and money laundering investigations into former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her family, and affiliated business groups intensify.

DHAKA – Bangladesh authorities have confiscated assets valued at approximately 760 billion taka (around US$6.2 billion or Rp101 trillion) allegedly connected to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, marking one of the country’s largest asset seizure operations tied to corruption and money laundering investigations.

The move was carried out by the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) as part of an ongoing probe into alleged illicit wealth accumulated during Hasina’s 15 years in power. The investigation also targets members of her family and ten business groups believed to have maintained close financial ties with the former premier.

A man holds a placard outside the courthouse calling for the death penalty ahead of the verdict in the crimes against humanity trial over the deadly crackdown on the 2024 student protests involving ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 17, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain.

BFIU Director Ikhtiar Mohammad Mamun confirmed that the majority of the confiscated assets remain within Bangladesh.

“Around 570 billion taka of the seized assets are located inside Bangladesh, while another 190 billion taka are held overseas. We are continuing efforts to recover funds suspected of being laundered abroad and hope to report positive progress before the end of this year,” Mamun said during the agency’s annual report presentation.

According to the BFIU, law enforcement agencies have so far opened 98 separate cases involving Sheikh Hasina, individuals, and business entities allegedly connected to the corruption and money laundering network.

“To date, authorities have registered 98 cases related to Sheikh Hasina and individuals or groups suspected of involvement,” the agency stated in its annual report.

The investigation follows Hasina’s dramatic downfall in August 2024, when massive student-led protests forced her from office after 15 years as Bangladesh’s leader. She subsequently fled to India, where she remains in self-imposed exile.

Since leaving office, Bangladeshi courts have convicted Hasina in absentia in several criminal cases, including corruption involving the allocation of prime land in the capital, Dhaka.

In a separate ruling, the country’s International Crimes Tribunal also sentenced her to death after finding her guilty of crimes against humanity linked to the deadly crackdown on anti-government demonstrations that claimed the lives of more than 1,400 protesters.

Despite the convictions, Hasina has previously indicated that she intends to return to Bangladesh before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s interim government continues diplomatic efforts to secure her extradition from India.

Interior Minister Salahuddin Ahmed reaffirmed the government’s commitment to bringing the former prime minister back to face justice.

“The court’s verdict will be carried out. It is for the judiciary to determine whether there remains any opportunity for an appeal,” Ahmed said.

The investigation into Sheikh Hasina has become a central component of Bangladesh’s broader campaign against alleged corruption and abuse of power during her administration. Authorities say additional investigations involving her relatives and associated business networks remain ongoing.