Bangladeshi deposits in Swiss banks rise 41 per cent to over Tk12,760 crore

The amount of money held by Bangladeshi individuals and institutions in Swiss banks increased by 41 per cent in 2025 compared with the previous year. 

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) released the global statistics on bank liabilities and assets as of the end of 2025 on Thursday.

According to the figures, Bangladesh’s position in the Swiss banking system stood at 834.2 million Swiss francs, equivalent to slightly more than Tk12,760 crore at an exchange rate of Tk153 per franc. 

At the end of 2024, the amount was 589.5 million Swiss francs, or about Tk9,000 crore at current rates.

Over the past five years, the lowest deposit from Bangladesh was recorded in 2023 at just 17.7 million Swiss francs (about Tk270 crore). The highest deposit came in 2021, with 871 million Swiss francs (approximately Tk13,325 crore). 

The data encompasses claims by Bangladeshi banks, customer deposits, and capital market investments. 

Bangladesh Bank has previously stated that these figures primarily relate to legitimate international trade transactions.

While there are suspicions that a portion of the funds may involve money laundering, no specific details are available, and the identities of individual depositors remain confidential. 

The Swiss National Bank publishes country-specific data as supplementary information in its annual report Banks in Switzerland, without breaking down individual customers or banks.

Bangladesh Bank has repeatedly clarified that banking transactions between the two countries do not constitute money laundering and are mainly linked to imports and exports. 

In 2017, the then Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith told Parliament that only a small amount of the money might be laundered.