Govt hopes to repatriate Coco's 'illegal funds'............

The government is hopeful of repatriating funds allegedly laundered by Khaleda Zia's younger son Arafat Rahman Coco, and confiscated by the US government, finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith told parliament on Monday.

But the government cannot release a list of corruption suspects prepared by the US, said the minister.

Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim asked the finance minister whether the US government's list of those suspected of laundering money would be made public.

"It is not possible to release any list (of corruption suspects). This is a matter of investigation.

"We cannot say where the investigation will end. I cannot say anything further for the sake of the investigation," Muhith told parliament.

Selim, an Awami League MP, also asked if the government would bring back Coco's confiscated funds from Singapore.

The minister said a case had been filed in a US district court regarding 'illegally earned' money seized from a Singapore account owned by Coco.

"We are hopeful that we will be able to take the money back from the US government, subject to the verdict of the court and negotiations with the US government," said the finance minister.