The Bangladesh central bank governor has sent formal letters to the US Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as well as central bank and money laundering chiefs in the Philippines, asking them to help recover its stolen US$81 million, a senior Bangladeshi central bank official said on Sunday.
The news came as Bangladeshi Minister of Finance Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said the government was waiting to hear the recommendations of an investigation committee to decide whether the central bank should file a suit against the US Fed after one of the biggest cyberheists in history.
Unknown hackers breached the computer systems of the Bangladesh Bank early last month and attempted to steal US$951 million from its account at the US Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which it uses for international settlements.
Some attempted transfers were blocked, but US$81 million was transferred to accounts in the Philippines belonging to casino operators.
The central bank official said that Fazle Kabir, who became the Bangladesh central bank governor a week ago, asked the New York Fed chief and the heads of the Philippines central bank and money laundering agency to assist Bangladesh in retrieving the funds.
Kabir asked the US Fed to investigate if there had been any lapses or whether it had any involvement in the heist, the official said.
Kabir sent separate letters to the ambassador of Bangladesh at the UN headquarters, and its permanent representative, urging them to pursue the New York Fed.
The previous central bank governor, Atiur Rahman, resigned earlier this month after details emerged in the Philippines that US$30 million of the money was delivered in cash to a casino junket operator in Manila, while the rest went to two casinos.
“In his letters the new governor sought all kinds of help from them to retrieve the stolen money as we are following multiple efforts for the sake of the country,” the official said.
Last week Bangladesh also formally sought assistance from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation to track down the cybercriminals.
Bangladesh has appointed law firms to weigh its options vis-a-vis the New York Fed.
“We will wait till the recommendations of the government-formed investigation committee,” Muhith said on Sunday, referring to a three-member committee headed by former Bangladesh central bank governor Mohammad Farash Uddin.
“We will act as per its recommendations,” Muhith added.
Earlier this month Muhith said Dhaka might resort to suing the US Fed to recover the money: “The Fed must take responsibility,” he said.
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