Swiss Deposits By Bangladeshis Surged 41% In 2025, Report Says
Key Points
- Swiss Bank Deposits Linked To Bangladesh Jumped To 834 Million Francs
- Critics Allege Funds Moved To Cayman Islands, Tax Havens
- Estimates Claim Total Outflow Could Touch Rs 2 Lakh Crore Taka
NEW DELHI – A Bangladeshi daily has accused the former interim government under Muhammad Yunus of overseeing unprecedented capital flight from the country.
The newspaper Asian Age alleged that vast sums were funnelled into Swiss accounts and offshore havens during the administration’s tenure. It described the period as one that initially carried reformist expectations but later drew corruption allegations.
According to the report, Swiss National Bank data for 2025 showed deposits tied to Bangladeshi nationals rising sharply. The figure climbed nearly 41 per cent year-on-year, reaching 834.1 million Swiss francs.
This compares with around 590 million Swiss francs recorded in 2024, when Yunus headed what the article called a Washington-backed interim setup. The publication converted the 2025 figure to roughly Rs 12,678 crore in Bangladeshi taka.
However, the daily noted this calculation assumed an exchange rate of 152 taka per Swiss franc. It added that the 2025 deposit level was the highest recorded since 2021 and the second-highest in ten years.
Meanwhile, critics cited in the report cautioned that Swiss banking figures capture only a fraction of the full financial picture. They argued that illicit flows often move through numerous other jurisdictions worldwide.
The article listed the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and the UAE as additional destinations. It also named Malaysia and offshore centres including the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands.
Based on this broader assumption, some estimates referenced in the piece put total annual outflows from Bangladesh as high as 200,000 crore taka. The publication stressed that such projections remain unverified and contested on methodological grounds.
“These numbers are widely cited in public debate despite the lack of independent verification,” the article said. It added that they nonetheless illustrate the scale of concern among critics.
In addition, the report claimed the eighteen-month Yunus-led period marked an extraordinary peak in both capital flight and institutional pressure. Detractors quoted in the piece called for a thorough probe and transparent financial disclosure.
They also urged careful documentation of the period for historical record. The newspaper framed the broader debate as part of a national reckoning over accountability and economic sovereignty in Bangladesh.
The Yunus-led interim administration took charge after Sheikh Hasina’s government fell in 2024 amid mass protests. Hasina was later sentenced to death in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity.
Bangladesh under the interim government also saw friction with India on several fronts. Dhaka had earlier suspended visa services for Indian nationals, while separately seeking rice imports from India amid domestic shortages.
On the other hand, Indian agencies have also flagged cross-border concerns linked to Bangladesh during this period. Authorities in Gujarat recently detained 501 illegal Bangladeshi nationals under a separate enforcement drive.
Domestically, protests against the Yunus administration’s handling of minority rights had also erupted in parts of India, including demonstrations where activists burned an effigy of Muhammad Yunus over alleged atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh.
(Written with inputs from IANS)
