By Proinsias Mac Pheadair
Worldwide news
It isn’t every day a person becomes a trillionaire. Equally rare are the countries that can boast of having even just one.
Bangladesh in its 48-year history is about to get its first in the personae of internationally renowned business tycoon and arms dealer, Dr. Moosa Bin Shamsher.
Generally, this would be considered an opportunity for a huge celebration in the minds and hearts of most, but not everyone in Bangladesh.
A whopping 32-BILLION Euros are involved!
That’s over THREE TRILLION Taka in local Bangladeshi currency. Most calculators don’t have enough zeros to display that.
The Central Bank of Bangladesh and the astute Finance Minister Mostafa Kamal, MP, are quick to see the enormous benefits the influx of trillions would generate for the nation.
There will be no red VIP carpet and outstretched arms on offer, however, from a section of the business community who up to now perceived themselves to be the financial elite, the cat’s whiskers, and who for years have enjoyed massive kudos from their lofty position of wealth.
Now, professional jealousy is said to have reached a new low level and some businessmen would prefer the money didn’t come.
When the news of the €32-billion became public last week, Shamsher’s phone reached a melting point with requests from banks for him to make deposits with them.
“My family bank, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, will be the main beneficiary, but I’ll probably make deposits in about twenty more banks to help rejuvenate the lustreless banking system and benefit Bangladesh,” he said.
Most Notorious
The controversial arms dealer, who is listed as No. 1 on the ‘Ten Most Notorious Arms Dealers in Modern History,’ is awaiting Government approval to make the oversize transfer and predicts this will happen the week.
The paperwork he submitted shows the money was legal in every detail and accumulated from years of successful trading in partnership with his longtime friend, business partner and world-renowned arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi.
Shamsher and Khashoggi were the blue-eyed boys in the arms industry. They were brash, innovators, and revolutionized the arms trading as never before. Their unique approach brought them success, power and nauseating wealth.
Many countries profited from their fresh inventive defence strategies that gave them independence, a solid base and enriched the nations to move forward and prosper.
Following his death in June 2017, the results of Khashoggi’s successful trading efforts came to light.
In an interview with The Daily Jugantor newspaper, Bangladesh Finance Minister Mostafa Kamal, MP, said he welcomed Dr. Moosa’s good fortune and said he hopes the business tycoon will put it to good use to benefit Bangladesh.
“Because it’s such a large amount of money, if it suddenly enters the country, however, it could swell inflation, creating a negative effect,” he opined.
“This needs careful consideration and the approval of the Prime Minister,” he added.
The Finance Minister earlier had told the Daily Sun he was also keen to retrieve around one trillion Taka of Shamsher’s money seized by a Swiss bank.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) will offer a red carpet welcome to Moosa’s money.
The Executive Director of TIB, Dr. Zaman Iftekharuzzaman, told Jugantor: “I want to see the transfer of money from Dr. Moosa Bin Shamsher in a positive light. That way Bangladesh will benefit. The transfer has to be done in a way that offers no impropriety and that the transfer is made under the state control of an organization like the Anti-Corruption Commission,” he said.
Dr. Moosa said: “TIB Dr. Zaman Iftekharuzzaman have nothing to worry about. The money is legal and will enrich Bangladesh enormously.
“One billion taka will be spent immediately on helping the patients at the mental institution in Pabna where reports of malnourishment are rife and people are suffering appallingly.
“It is a known idiom that Allah helps those who help themselves, but there are people among us who are incapable of helping themselves.
“Humanity is all about helping those who cannot help themselves, and I hope to help fill that void in a small way,” he said.
Shamsher vowed he is going to give a helping hand to Bangladeshi people in need, as never before in the nation’s history.
“There are people among us professionals and non-professionals – teachers, journalists, editors, doctors and ordinary decent folk who have lead exemplary honest lives. They have never cheated a single soul, but helped everyone in every way they could and are now in need of help themselves. Some are even homeless. These people I want to help and will help.
“These are the unsung heroes of the nation who gave all they could until they had nothing more to give. My plan is to seek them out, thank them, address their problems, and help them in their hour of need,” he said. – Press release.
Source – Editor, Worldwide News worldwidenews.internationaldesk@gmail.com
