Bangladesh’s Yunus demands return of stolen billions

DHAKA: Bangladesh´s interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday demanded the return of stolen assets, decrying the scale of corruption under the ousted government of Sheikh Hasina, toppled by a revolution last year.

Hasina, 77, fled a revolution in August 2024 to neighbouring India, where she has defied extradition requests from Bangladesh to face charges including mass murder.

“The theft of billions of dollars in public funds has left Bangladesh with a significant financial deficit,” Yunus said in a statement.

“The funds stolen from Bangladesh belong to its people. We will continue to work with our international partners to ensure that justice is done.”

Yunus said he expected “assets to be returned”, adding that the stolen funds have “not only robbed the people of Bangladesh, but also disrupted the country´s progress toward economic stability”.

Bangladesh´s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating Hasina and her wider family, including her niece, British lawmaker and anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq.Siddiq on Tuesday resigned from her position, but repeated her denial that she had done anything wrong.