Dhaka, April 1 -- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has told parliament that Bangladesh is pursuing the recovery of billions allegedly laundered abroad during the ousted Awami League's rule, with agreements under negotiation with seven countries to trace and repatriate the funds.

He said investigations revealed that illicit money was transferred to multiple countries, prompting intensified efforts to exchange information, identify assets, and boost mutual legal assistance with these nations.

Answering MPs' questions in parliament on Wednesday, Tarique told Cumilla-9 MP Abul Kalam that a white paper prepared by the interim administration indicated that between 2009 and 2023, an estimated $234 billion left the country illegally -- an average ...