Staff Reporter :
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said that the Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh had told a lie that Bangladesh government did not seek any specific information of the deposited money by its nationals in the Swiss banks.
“She has told a lie. The governor of Bangladesh Bank and Finance Secretary had previously informed us that we asked for information from the Swiss banks. But the bank authorities did not reply. Today I asked Bangladesh Bank again and get the same respond,” he said while talking to reporters at his office.
Foreign Minister told the journalists that he had informed the BB Governor and the Finance Secretary to make the information public.
In reply to a query whether the Foreign Ministry will contact with the Swiss ambassador for such information, he said, “Let the Governor, Finance Secretary and Finance Ministry give their statements first. Then the ministry will look into the matter.”
Earlier on Wednesday during the DCAB Talks, the Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard said that the Bangladesh government did not want any specific information of the deposited money of the Bangladeshi nationals.
She further said that there were allegations about the deposited money that it has mostly been amassed through illegal means
The Swiss National Bank, the central bank of Switzerland, in its annual report in June found that the Bangladeshi account holders deposited some Tk 3,000 crore in different Swiss Banks last year.
“There are allegations that a big portion of the deposited money in various Swiss banks have been earned illegally. But the Bangladesh government so far did not ask for any specific information about it from the Swiss banks or its authorities,” Nathalie Chuard said.
She also said that her government informed Bangladesh about what needs to be done to obtain the information but it has not been sought.
