Dhaka, April 21 -- Bangladesh has begun legal and diplomatic steps to recover money allegedly laundered abroad by major business groups, finance minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury told parliament, insisting there would be "no compromise" in enforcing financial discipline.

Speaking during a question-and-answer session in the Jatiya Sangsad on Tuesday, Khasru said the government had already initiated both criminal and civil proceedings to trace and repatriate illicit assets linked to powerful conglomerates.

The remarks came in response to a question from MP Hasnat Abdullah, who cited large volumes of defaulted loans tied to corporate groups. He claimed that Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited alone held Tk 921.15b in non-performing loans, o...