Bangladesh-Linked Deposits in Swiss Banks Rise 41% to Tk 126.79 Billion in 2025

Bangladesh-linked funds held in Swiss banks increased by 41 per cent in 2025, following a sharp rise in 2024, according to the latest data from the Swiss National Bank.

Bangladesh-linked deposits in Swiss banks rose by 41 per cent in 2025, extending a sharp increase recorded the previous year after two years of steep decline.

The latest figures come from the Annual Banking Statistics 2025 released by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) on Thursday.

According to the SNB, total Bangladesh-linked funds in Swiss banks—including trade finance, investments and deposits held by Bangladeshi individuals and entities—stood at CHF 834.16 million in 2025.

Using an average exchange rate of Tk 152 per Swiss franc, the amount is equivalent to about Tk 126.79 billion.

In 2024, Bangladesh-linked deposits totalled CHF 589.54 million, or Tk 89.61 billion. The figures exclude funds held through fiduciaries and wealth managers.

The depreciation of the Bangladeshi taka against major foreign currencies in recent years means that local currency conversions differ from amounts reported previously.

While Swiss bank deposits are often associated with undeclared wealth or illicitly transferred funds, the SNB data do not provide information on the source or nature of the deposits.

The statistics show that Bangladesh-linked deposits had dropped sharply to CHF 17.71 million in 2023 and CHF 55.27 million in 2022.

Under Swiss banking statistics, deposits held by Bangladeshi and other foreign individuals and entities are recorded as liabilities on banks' balance sheets.

Most of the Bangladesh-linked funds in 2025 were recorded under "amounts due to banks", which stood at CHF 822.71 million, equivalent to Tk 125.06 billion.

Another CHF 11.45 million, or Tk 1.74 billion, was classified as "amounts due in respect of customers' deposits".

The reported figures exclude deposits channelled through fiduciaries or wealth managers. Bangladesh-linked deposits held through such arrangements amounted to CHF 8.31 million, or Tk 1.26 billion, in 2025.

Bangladesh Bank previously said that only around 10-15 per cent of Bangladesh-linked deposits in Swiss banks belonged to individual clients. According to the central bank, most of the funds represented bank-to-bank placements linked to trade transactions.

The central bank therefore argued that only a small share of the deposits could represent money transferred from Bangladesh and held abroad by individuals.

The SNB data also do not capture funds that may be held through shell companies or other intermediary structures.

Meanwhile, total foreign-client funds held in Swiss banks fell to CHF 896.38 billion in 2025 from CHF 977.12 billion in 2024 and CHF 983.45 billion in 2023.

Indian deposits in Swiss banks declined by 7.78 per cent to CHF 3.23 billion in 2025 from CHF 3.50 billion a year earlier.

Pakistani deposits also fell by about 13 per cent to CHF 236.35 million from CHF 271.67 million over the same period.

Switzerland's banking sector remains known for strict depositor confidentiality, a factor that has long contributed to its reputation as a global financial hub and tax haven.