Bangladesh today (10 March) sought the Philippines’ continued support in advancing the legal and investigative process related to the 2016 Bangladesh Bank reserve heist.
The issue was raised during a meeting between State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam and Philippine Ambassador Nina Padilla Cainglet when the ambassador paid a courtesy call on the state minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.
During the meeting, the state minister requested the Philippine government to maintain cooperation in facilitating progress in legal proceedings and investigations linked to the heist, reads a press release.
Hackers had stolen $81 million from Bangladesh Bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2016, and a significant portion of the funds was reportedly laundered through casinos in the Philippines.
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 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 explored opportunities to expand cooperation in trade, labour mobility, skills development and higher education.
The ambassador also informed that a memorandum of understanding on nursing cooperation is expected to be signed soon, along with additional agreements on labour cooperation and collaboration between the National Defence Colleges of the two countries.
The meeting also reviewed several pending bilateral agreements, 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.
Both sides expressed satisfaction with the growing relations between the two countries and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in political, economic and people-to-people sectors.
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