Highlighting the efforts to recover the assets abroad, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Thursday expressed optimism that they would get the desired results soon from the meetings they had in London over the last couple of days.

"Asset recovery is a very important task. It's Bangladeshi people's money," he told reporters, referring to extensive meetings they had since the arrival of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and his small entourage in London.

Alam said National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, Special Envoy to the Chief Adviser Lutfey Siddiqi, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen and Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur, who are accompanying Chief Adviser, held extensive meetings with the UK authorities, including the National Crimes Agency (NCA) regarding the recovery of stolen assets.

"We will soon get the fruits out of those meetings," said the Press Secretary, noting that Bangladesh enjoys fantastic relations with the UK and they see the reflection of the friendly relations in these meetings.

During former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's regime, Alam claimed that US$ 234 billion was siphoned off from Bangladesh to various countries.

A part of it was laundered to the UK, he said, adding the major focus of Prof Yunus's UK visit is on asset recovery.

Alam said the officials of the UK government are providing significant assistance to Bangladesh in this regard.

The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) has frozen properties in the United Kingdom owned by Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, Bangladesh's former Minister of Land, according to a report run by Al Jazeera.

The move follows legal requests from Bangladesh authorities to take action against assets owned by Chowdhury, a political ally of deposed Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the now-banned Awami League party.

Chowdhury is under investigation by Bangladesh authorities for money laundering.

"We are doing it so that the money can be brought back to the country and used for the welfare of the people," he said.

Regarding the prestigious 'Harmony Award' by the King Charles III, Press Secretary Alam said it is a rare honour for Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and big honor for the people of Bangladesh.

On Friday's meeting between Prof Yunus and BNP acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman, he said said it will be a very important meeting in the context of the national elections scheduled to be held in April next year and the current overall situation of the country.