Bangladeshi Elite's £400 Million UK Property Hold

In the wake of Sheikh Hasina's fall from power, an investigation by The Observer and Transparency International has uncovered that associates of her regime possess UK properties valued at approximately £400 million, allegedly acquired through money laundering and offshore companies. The report revealed nearly 350 properties attributed to prominent figures, including Salman F. Rahman, a former adviser to Hasina, who is linked to seven luxury apartments in London, and former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, associated with over 300 properties. Allegations suggest that these assets were financed by state-backed loans that were never repaid, raising concerns about the origins of the wealth. The interim Bangladeshi government is actively seeking to recover about £13 billion believed to have been illicitly transferred abroad, with a focus on these UK holdings. The findings have sparked debates about the complicity of British institutions in facilitating such corruption. Owners of the properties maintain that the allegations are politically motivated attacks by the new government.