Dhaka, March 30 -- Diminutive and softly spoken, Dr Ahsan Mansur does not project the image of a man able to strike fear into the hearts of hardened kleptocrats.

Yet Bangladesh's central bank governor has rattled someone powerful, if the events of recent days are anything to go by.

Mansur, 74, has been in London this month, meeting Foreign Office minister Catherine West, NGOs, lawyers and experts in tracing assets.

They have promised to help him track down tens of billions of dollars in funds allegedly stolen from the south Asian country's banking system under the regime of Sheikh Hasina, the autocrat deposed in last year's student-led revolution.

In advance of his visit, several MPs were sent emails attempting to discredit Mansur.

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