Finance Minister AMA Muhith has claimed that only a few Bangladeshi people are depositing their money in Swiss banks, and amounts of money they deposited is decreasing.

“The amount of money deposed in the Swiss banks by Bangladeshi citizens has not increased. Rather it saw a drop last year,” Muhith told reporters following a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase at Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday.

“The Anti Corruption Commission chairman had said representatives of Swiss banks are living in Dhaka, and they are provoking the rich to deposit their laundered money in the banks. But, I do not think so. I do not have such information,” he told the reporters when replying to their queries.

On Tuesday, the minister, when delivering his speech in the parliament, said: “Bangladeshi citizens’ deposits in Swiss Banks are not a big amount. Trade and commerce between Bangladesh and Switzerland has significantly increased, and financial transactions are increasing as well. This is not money laundering.

“The accounts details of Bangladeshi depositors, which were published in different newspapers, were actually the details of their transaction accounts. The details were disclosed to identify those who are involved in money laundering. So, misunderstandings should not be created. However, it cannot be said that money is not being laundered out of the country.”