‘Repatriating stolen money is difficult, but possible’

US Charge d’Affaires Helen LaFave has said the US will provide all kind of supports to recover the stolen money and bring it back to Bangladesh. “Repatriating stolen money is hard, but it is possible”, she said.

Helen LaFave made the assurance when she paid a farewell call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his office in Tejgaon on Thursday.

“We will definitely make it happen,” the Chief Adviser said.

The Chief Adviser praised LaFave for her service as a top diplomat and appreciated her sincere efforts to advance Bangladesh-US relations at a crucial time.

“I am very proud to witness history,” Helen LaFave said as she recounted her memories during the student-led mass uprising in July-August.

US Charge d'Affaires handed over a letter from Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Prof Yunus.

The acting US envoy told Prof Yunus that the US was expediting resettlement of the Rohingyas from the Bangladesh camp to the North American nation.

Their talks also covered judicial reforms, South Asian electricity connectivity, counterterrorism, efforts to repatriate tens of billions of dollars stolen from Bangladesh during the dictatorship, reforms in civil bureaucracy and labour issues.

Prof Yunus said his government was also committed to carrying out sweeping labour reforms. 

The US envoy said a number of senior US officials would visit Bangladesh in the next few months in an effort to cement ties between the two friendly nations.