"This is illegally earned money and they (Bashundhara Group) were compelled to deposit to the exchequer," a source said.

Earlier, seven businessmen deposited Tk 270 crore illegal money with the government through several pay orders in local currency for the first time in the country's history, banking sources said.

In the face of the government's anti-corruption drive conducted by the joint forces, these businessmen had to deposit the amount, which the central bank termed "non-tax revenue."

Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed in a recent meeting with the editors of different media said the government's initiative to retrieve illegally earned money from corrupt people will continue. He said the process is underway to get back another Tk 824 crore.

Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Commission asked Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan to submit his wealth statement suspecting him as a corrupt businessman. But, Sobhan did not comply and went into hiding.