Staff Reporter :
Switzerland has assured Bangladesh’s interim government of its cooperation in recovering money siphoned off to Switzerland.
Reto Renggli, the Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh, expressed this assurance during a meeting with the BNP in Dhaka on Thursday.
The Swiss Ambassador held an hour-long meeting with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at the BNP chairperson’s office in Gulshan.
Following the meeting, BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury shared that the ambassador had welcomed any initiative by the Bangladesh government to repatriate the laundered money and assured full cooperation in this regard. “This is good news,” said Amir Khosru.
During the meeting, various issues were discussed, including the current economic and political situation in the country following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s regime, as well as the efforts to bring back the laundered money.
Amir Khosru mentioned that the BNP has repeatedly claimed that over 100 billion dollars had been siphoned off from Bangladesh.
He pointed out the severe impact this has had on the country’s economy and foreign currency reserves, leading to a dire situation.
“The deposed Awami League government laundered so much money that the country’s reserves have hit rock bottom.
Every citizen is feeling its impact in their daily lives,” Amir Khosru stated.
He added that if Bangladesh cannot recover this huge amount of smuggled money, it will be very difficult to stabilise the economy.
“We’ve received their assurance of cooperation, and they will surely assist us,” he said.
When asked about a timeline, Amir Khosru said the BNP had not given the interim government any specific deadline but emphasised that a fair election should be conducted within a reasonable time frame.
“Everyone expects a neutral and credible election within a reasonable time, and those in the interim government believe it too,” he said, adding that there was no disagreement between the BNP and the interim government on this matter.
“We will continue to extend our full support to this interim government,” Amir Khosru affirmed.
He further commented on the deteriorating state of Bangladesh’s political and economic structures, noting that the discussion also covered ways to restore the country’s constitutional institutions.