DHAKA, Aug 13, 2026 (BSS)- A delegation of Asia/Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering  today concluded its three-day Preliminary Mutual Evaluation Planning (P-MEP) visit to Bangladesh, identifying priority actions for the country ahead of the 2027-28 Mutual Evaluation. During the August 11-13 visit, National Coordination Committee (NCC) held a high-level meeting chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, where the government reaffirmed its strong political commitment to combating money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing, said a press release. The Finance Minister said the government would continue strengthening the country's anti-money laundering (AML), countering financing of terrorism (CFT) and countering proliferation financing (CPF) frameworks. Bangladesh Bank Governor Mostaqur Rahman and Financial Institutions Division (FID) Secretary Nazma Mobarek also attended the meeting, reflecting a coordinated national approach to preparations for the upcoming evaluation. A Working Committee meeting was also held under the chairmanship of the FID Secretary to discuss practical preparations, identify priority areas and clarify institutional responsibilities for the evaluation cycle. During the visit, the APG team reviewed Bangladesh's financial sector and expressed concern over irregularities and corruption in the capital market and banking sector during the previous regime, as well as large-scale capital flight and money laundering, the release said. The delegation apprehended that such legacy issues could have an adverse impact on Bangladesh's performance in the 2027-28 evaluation. At the same time, it welcomed the ongoing financial-sector reforms and initiatives to recover laundered assets, recommending that these efforts remain a key priority. The three-day programme included extensive technical sessions on Immediate Outcomes (IO), involving representatives from Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority, Microcredit Regulatory Authority, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Representatives of National Board of Revenue (NBR), Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms, relevant ministries and agencies responsible for customs, borders and ports also participated in the discussions. A separate session was held with private-sector stakeholders, including banks, insurance companies, capital market intermediaries, NGOs and non-profit organisations, to apprise reporting entities of their responsibilities in the mutual evaluation process. Bangladesh has so far undergone three rounds of mutual evaluation—in 2002, 2009 and 2016. Following the 2009 assessment, Bangladesh was placed on the APG's "grey list" as a high-risk jurisdiction. The country exited the list in February 2014 following a series of government measures. In the 2016 evaluation, Bangladesh was recognised as a compliant country by the APG and its 42 member jurisdictions, the release said. At the conclusion of the P-MEP visit, the Bangladesh Bank Governor and the BFIU head reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to successfully completing the 2027-28 evaluation and maintaining international standards on financial integrity. They stressed the need for continued vigilance and coordinated efforts to strengthen the country's AML/CFT/CPF regime and protect the integrity of the national financial system.