Fakhrul questions surging in Swiss bank deposits linked to Bangladesh

The senior BNP leader says the matter raises questions as to whether anything has changed following the July Uprising

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has expressed dismay over the sharp rise in deposits from Bangladesh in Swiss banks, questioning how such a large sum of money was transferred abroad in just a year.

On Saturday, Fakhrul said he was “deeply disappointed” by the news.

“I don’t know whose money this is, or when and how it got there,” he said.

“Any patriotic person seeing this news would naturally wonder -- has anything really changed? The looting by mafias and fascists, the embezzlement of thousands of crores -- wasn’t that what we’ve been saying all along?”

Fakhrul said if the surge in deposits occurred in 2024, it only further confirms what the BNP has claimed -- that under a “fascist regime”, wealth was plundered and concentrated in the hands of a powerful few.

“It proves a particular family has looted and taken everything,” he said.

'THEY DESTROYED EVERYTHING’

Fakhrul accused the Awami League of dismantling the country’s key institutions, including the election system, judiciary, bureaucracy, education, and healthcare during its 15-year rule.

“They have systematically destroyed every institution of the state,” he said.

Despite this, he acknowledged efforts under way to bring these institutions back on track and praised the interim government.

“They have started working. They’ve done good work and are showing us the way. We hope all democratic and anti-fascist political forces will come together to support them.”

He said, “I still haven’t lost hope. If we continue to work together on the basis of our past unity, we can achieve our goal of building a democratic state.”

Fakhrul expressed optimism that national elections would be held in February, citing a recent meeting between BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and the Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.

“They reached an understanding on several key issues, which has encouraged us. We now see a window of opportunity to realise our aspirations through that election,” he said.

Fakhrul welcomed the emergence of new political parties, saying: “Several new parties have recently formed. One important group, which includes student leaders, is set to file for registration tomorrow. We welcome this and have high expectations of them.”

He stressed that the youth leadership that has been at the forefront of recent protests and has sacrificed for the cause will play a critical role in rebuilding the country’s political future.

Fakhrul spoke at the Revolutionary Workers Party’s 21st founding anniversary at Dhaka Reporters Unity.