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Sir Keir Starmer has turned down a request to fulfill Bangladesh’s chief throughout a go to to London aimed toward elevating help for efforts to recuperate billions of {dollars} siphoned off by the deposed regime of Sheikh Hasina.
Interim chief Muhammad Yunus advised the Monetary Instances the UK ought to really feel “morally” obliged to assist Bangladesh’s new authorities observe down funds “stolen” by the earlier regime, a lot of it allegedly now within the UK.
Nonetheless, Yunus mentioned Starmer had not but agreed to fulfill him.
“I’ve no direct dialog with him,” Yunus mentioned, though he added he had “little doubt” Starmer would help Bangladesh’s efforts.
“That is stolen cash,” he mentioned of the misappropriated funds.
UK authorities officers confirmed there was no plan for Starmer to fulfill Yunus at current, and declined to remark additional.
Whereas Yunus mentioned the UK authorities was already offering help to find the cash, he mentioned the UK ought to really feel “legally and . . . morally” obliged to assist Bangladesh recuperate it. The target of the journey was to convey out “extra enthusiastic help” from the UK, he mentioned.
Yunus, a Nobel-prize successful economist, has headed an interim authorities since a student-led protest motion ousted Sheikh Hasina final August.
Bangladesh’s investigations into the funds of Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League have at occasions threatened to mirror badly on Starmer’s UK Labour get together.
In January, Tulip Siddiq, then anti-corruption minister and a detailed ally of Starmer, was compelled to face down after being engulfed in corruption allegations. They associated to her receiving materials help, together with property, from figures related to the Awami League.
Sheikh Hasina is Siddiq’s aunt. Siddiq has denied any wrongdoing, however resigned her ministerial place.
Siddiq, who stays an MP, requested to fulfill Yunus in a letter despatched this week. She mentioned she needed to clear up the “misunderstanding” being perpetuated by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Fee.
Yunus mentioned he wouldn’t meet Siddiq.
“This can be a authorized subject . . . a authorized course of,” he mentioned of the investigations into Siddiq’s affairs. “It’s not private involving me.”
Yunus mentioned that, through the 16 years of Sheikh Hasina’s rule, she turned her “energy into a chance to seize cash” for some relations and associates.
There had been a “massive looting course of”, he mentioned.
Bangladesh authorities estimate that round $234bn was siphoned off whereas Sheikh Hasina was in energy and the UK was a first-rate vacation spot for “stolen” funds.
Yunus named Canada, Singapore, the Caribbean and the Center East as different locations for allegedly misappropriated belongings.
He mentioned the journey to the UK was “just the start” and he was planning additional visits. His administration was seeking to get help from “all instructions” within the UK, together with companies, monetary establishments, the police and all intelligence companies, he added.
“We’d like the help from the individuals of Nice Britain,” he mentioned.
His crew nonetheless hoped to fulfill the prime minister, they mentioned.
The UK’s Nationwide Crime Company final month obtained freezing orders on two London properties owned by the son of an ally of Sheikh Hasina.