by
The amount of money held in Swiss banks under Bangladesh’s name has increased 23 times in the past year, according to data released by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) on June 19, 2025. The report details the liabilities and assets held in Swiss banks for various countries in 2024.
As per the statistics, by the end of 2024, deposits under Bangladesh’s name in Swiss banks amounted to 598.2 million Swiss Francs, equivalent to approximately BDT 8,972 crore (at an exchange rate of 150 BDT per Swiss Franc). In contrast, at the end of 2023, this amount was only 26.4 million Swiss Francs, or about BDT 396 crore. This marks a dramatic 23-fold increase within a single year. In 2022, the deposits stood at 58.4 million Swiss Francs, equivalent to roughly BDT 876 crore.
According to Bangladesh Bank, over 95% of these funds represent claims by Bangladeshi banks, primarily related to trade transactions. However, there is speculation that a portion of these funds could be linked to illicitly transferred assets, though no concrete evidence has been found to substantiate this.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has engaged with the Swiss Financial Intelligence Unit multiple times but has not received individual-specific information or lists of account holders. Swiss authorities have stated they would cooperate in providing information if evidence of illegal money laundering is presented.
Notably, funds deposited under the names of other countries by Bangladeshi citizens or entities are not included in these statistics. Similarly, the value of valuable assets such as artwork, gold, or rare items stored in Swiss bank vaults is not accounted for in this data.
AI/MR
