Regulatory investigations and financial crime — cross‑border matters involving Bangladesh

From our London office at Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, WC1V 7QH, our team advises corporates, financial institutions and boards on complex regulatory investigations and financial crime matters that have a Bangladesh nexus. We focus on co‑ordinated, pragmatic responses that protect privilege where possible, preserve evidence and align remedial steps with parallel regulatory or criminal processes across jurisdictions.

Overview of services

We support clients on the full lifecycle of a matter: immediate response to regulator contact or media exposure; controlled internal investigations; assessment of criminal and regulatory risk (including anti‑corruption, sanctions, money laundering and asset recovery); and remediation and compliance enhancement. Our work is tailored to multi‑jurisdictional dynamics, recognising differences in investigatory powers, evidential rules and mutual legal assistance procedures.

How we handle cross‑border investigations

• Rapid incident assessment and legal risk mapping across relevant jurisdictions.
• Coordination with expert local counsel in Bangladesh to navigate domestic procedure and cultural and language considerations while protecting privileged communications generated from London where applicable.
• Designing evidence preservation and document management protocols that respect data protection and disclosure obligations in each jurisdiction.
• Strategic engagement with UK authorities (for example where UK persons, funds, or conduct are implicated) while managing parallel inquiries locally.

Common issues and practical considerations

Cross‑border financial crime matters frequently present issues such as conflicting disclosure obligations, urgent asset preservation, sanction screening, and requests for mutual legal assistance. Practical considerations include the interplay between internal investigations and criminal process, the potential need for voluntary disclosure or remediation plans, and reputational management across markets.

Practical checklist for organisations

1. Secure and map potentially relevant data sources; implement a legal hold on documents and communications.
2. Notify senior management and assemble a multi‑disciplinary response team (legal, compliance, forensic IT, external counsel).
3. Engage experienced local counsel in any foreign jurisdiction involved before responding to local authorities.
4. Assess privilege and disclosure risks; keep privileged communications separate and documented.
5. Conduct a focused, proportionate internal review to inform decisions on regulatory engagement and remediation.
6. Consider compliance remediation, governance measures and, where appropriate, voluntary disclosure options.

Jurisdiction and sources

Relevant official sources and regulators include:

• UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO)
• National Crime Agency (NCA)
• Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
• HM Treasury (sanctions) and the UK sanctions list
• Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and UN Security Council sanctions
• For Bangladesh‑specific procedure and agencies, official portals such as the Bangladesh Bank, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) and the Anti‑Corruption Commission (Bangladesh) are primary sources.

We design cross‑border strategies that respect the differing procedural regimes of England and Wales and the relevant foreign authorities, working closely with local counsel and forensic experts to secure effective outcomes for clients.

General information only; not legal advice and not a substitute for advice on a particular matter.