Awami League warns its leaders against depositing money in Swiss banks

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has warned his party adherents of legal and organisational action if any of them is found to have stashed away money in any bank in Switzerland.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 30 June 2017, 09:24 PM
Updated : 1 July 2017, 01:23 PM

The revelation by the Swiss National Bank that Bangladeshis' deposits in Swiss banks rose by 20 percent in 2016 has prompted the BNP to allege that top leaders of the ruling party have looted the people and transferred the money to Swiss banks.

In response to the allegation brought by the BNP, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Quader said on Friday that his party has 'no record of smuggling money'.

"It is proven in court that the BNP regularly smuggles money out of the country. Everyone knows about money laundering by Tarique and Coco (BNP chief Khaleda Zia's sons)," he told reporters after a meeting of the Awami League's secretaries in Dhanmondi.

"We don't have any information on any Awami League man keeping money in a Swiss bank. If we find information and evidence, legal and organisational action will be taken," he said.

Quader also said there was no link between stashing away money in Swiss banks and politics. "No one said the money went from Bangladesh."
On Thursday, Zurich-based SNB published its annual report titled 'Banks in Switzerland 2016'.
According to the report, deposits by Bangladeshis in Switzerland's banks rose by about 20 percent year-on-year in 2016 to 661.96 million Swiss francs or Tk 55.86 billion.