Bangladesh seeks Philippines' support on Bangladesh Bank heist issue
A significant portion of the stolen funds was reportedly laundered through casinos in the Philippines after hackers siphoned off $81 million from Bangladesh Bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Bangladesh has sought the Philippines' continued support in advancing the legal and investigative process related to the Bangladesh Bank reserve heist during a meeting between State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam and Philippine Ambassador Nina Padilla Cainglet yesterday (10 March).
The issue was raised when the ambassador paid a maiden courtesy call on the state minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.
During the meeting, the state minister requested the Government of the Philippines to continue its cooperation in facilitating progress in the legal proceedings and investigation connected to the 2016 Bangladesh Bank money heist.
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A significant portion of the stolen funds was reportedly laundered through casinos in the Philippines after hackers siphoned off $81 million from Bangladesh Bank's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Apart from the heist issue, the two sides discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the Philippines.
The ambassador congratulated the state minister on assuming office and conveyed greetings and best wishes from the Philippine government to the newly elected government of Bangladesh, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Both sides highlighted the longstanding friendly relations between the two countries and discussed expanding cooperation in trade, labour mobility, skills development, and higher education.
The ambassador informed that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on nursing cooperation is expected to be signed soon, alongside additional agreements on labour cooperation and collaboration between the National Defence Colleges of the two countries.
The meeting also reviewed several pending bilateral instruments, including MoUs on air services, anti-corruption cooperation, and cultural exchange.
Trade and investment cooperation also featured in the discussions, with Bangladesh highlighting export opportunities in pharmaceuticals, jute products, ceramics, and ready-made garments.
The meeting concluded with both sides expressing satisfaction with the positive trajectory of Bangladesh–Philippines relations and reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening cooperation across political, economic, and people-to-people areas.
Earlier on 5 February 2016, hackers reportedly stole $101 million from Bangladesh Bank's accounts with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Of the amount, $81 million was sent to four accounts at RCBC in Manila, while $20 million was transferred to a bank in Sri Lanka.
