Module 4: International standards - Certificate in Anti-Money Laundering Fundamentals

What you will learn

Explain the role of the FATF and its Recommendations
Describe the APG, mutual evaluations and the Egmont Group
Explain why sanctions lists must be screened

FATF

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was set up in 1989. It issued the 40 Recommendations in April 1990 and revised them in 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2012. The Recommendations are the global standard for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism and proliferation (AML/CFT/CPF). Countries are assessed against them in mutual evaluations.

The FATF publishes two public lists. Use the exact terms: jurisdictions under increased monitoring (often called the "grey list") and high-risk jurisdictions subject to a call for action (often called the "black list"). Jurisdictions on these lists call for extra care (see Module 5).

APG

The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) is the FATF-style regional body to which Bangladesh belongs. It carries out mutual evaluations of its members and follows up their progress. Bangladesh's fourth-round evaluation is expected in 2027-28, and the APG held a pre-evaluation planning visit in August 2026.

Egmont Group

The Egmont Group is the international network of financial intelligence units. Membership lets a country's FIU exchange information securely with its counterparts abroad. BFIU joined the Egmont Group in July 2013. Bangladesh's national risk assessments and international evaluation also depend on this cooperation.

United Nations sanctions

The UN Security Council issues targeted financial sanctions against listed individuals and entities linked to terrorism and proliferation. Countries must apply them without delay. For an institution that means:

keep the current UN and Bangladesh lists, ideally electronically;
screen clients, beneficiaries, payments, partners and staff against them;
never serve a listed person;
on a match, suspend the transaction and tell BFIU (for NGO/NPOs, by the next working day).

Other bodies you will hear about

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) supports countries on drugs, crime and money laundering. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision sets standards for banks, including on the sound management of ML/TF risk.

Bangladesh lens

The next mutual evaluation is a reason for Bangladeshi banks, financial institutions and MFIs to review their AML/CFT programmes now. Assessors test both the laws on paper (technical compliance) and how well they work in practice (effectiveness).

BFIU reports memoranda of understanding with 81 foreign financial intelligence units as of June 2025, which supports cross-border cases.

Key takeaways

FATF (1989) sets the 40 Recommendations; mutual evaluations test compliance.
APG is the regional FATF-style body for Asia/Pacific; Bangladesh's next evaluation is expected 2027-28.
BFIU joined the Egmont Group in July 2013.
UN sanctions lists must be screened; a match means suspend and inform BFIU.

Practice quiz

Five questions, instant feedback. Not graded for the certificate.

Based on the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012 (as amended 2015), the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 and BFIU circulars, as understood on 16 October 2026. Laws and circulars change: always check the latest text on bfiu.org.bd. This course is general education, not legal advice. Cases marked "illustrative" are fictional.