Money in Swiss Bank: HC summons BFIU chief for not filing statement properly

The High Court today summoned the head of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), Md Masud Biswas, for not giving his signature, designation and address in the statement – submitted before it, which earlier sought information on money deposited by Bangladeshis to Swiss banks.

He has been asked to appear before the High Court at 11am tomorrow (August 31, 2022)

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order during hearing a suo muto (voluntary) rule on this issue.

Anti-Corruption Commission's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that BFIU chief Masud Biswas has submitted the statement to the HC through the attorney general's office.

The statement was not prepared in accordance with the relevant procedures as he did not give his signature and did not include his designation and address in the forwarding of the statement.

The BFIU made the statement in "callous manner" for which the HC summoned the BFIU chief before it for his explanation, lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan added.

The court adjourned hearing of the suomuto rule till tomorrow morning.

The BFIU submitted the statement yesterday (August 29, 2022) to the HC through Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik by swearing an affidavit, saying that they sought information from the authorities concerned of Switzerland for 13 times about the money deposited by Bangladeshis to Swiss banks.

On August 14, the HC bench said that the statements made by the Switzerland ambassador, Bangladesh government, and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) regarding the issue are "contradictory".

The statement of Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard, who reportedly said that Bangladesh has never sought any specific information on money deposited by its citizens to banks in Switzerland, has created an embarrassing situation, the bench said.

According to the annual report published in June this year by Switzerland's central bank, Swiss National Bank (SNB), Bangladeshis last year deposited money equivalent to Tk 3,000 crore in various banks of that country, the ambassador said.