“A free and independent press is an important yardstick of democracy,” said Ambassador Reto Renggli as he welcomed Bangladeshi journalists covering diplomatic affairs to the Swiss Residence. Our annual reception brought together many familiar faces and some new ones: a welcome opportunity to catch up and hear about their experiences. Thank you to everyone who joined us. Switzerland continues to support media freedom everywhere, including in Bangladesh.

Alberto Giovanetti, Head of Political, Economic and Communication Affairs at the Embassy of Switzerland, met with Bangladeshi artist Pulak Sarkar, who recently returned from his Pro Helvetia-supported residency in 🇨🇭 . It was a great opportunity to hear about his experience, artistic exchanges and new perspectives gained during his residency. We are excited to explore future collaborations that contribute to a meaningful cultural exchange between Switzerland and Bangladesh. #SwissInBD #ProHelvetia

Mr. Alberto Giovanetti, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Embassy, attended the Dhaka University National Model United Nations (#DUNMUN) 2026 closing ceremony as special guest on 22 August. In his speech, he highlighted that effective multilateralism is essential for finding common responses to global challenges. Lauding the participants, he noted it is young people like them who will steer multilateralism to address these challenges. As a strong proponent of multilateralism and home to various international organizations in Geneva, 🇨🇭looks forward to deepening multilateral cooperation with 🇧🇩. #SwissinBD

“You do not need to wait until you become lawyers, judges, diplomats, activists, leaders or any other professionals to stand up for human rights. You can start now by respecting the dignity and rights of your family, friends and neighbours,” said Alberto Giovanetti, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Embassy of Switzerland, while speaking at the award giving ceremony of the 3rd National Human Rights Olympiad. This edition of the Olympiad brought finalists from Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna and Dhaka divisions for the final round. A big congratulations to the ten winners, the finalists from all four divisions and everyone who took part. The Embassy of Switzerland supported the Human Rights Support Society in organizing the divisional rounds as well as the final round of the Olympiad to raise human rights awareness among students of grades 9 to 12 from the four divisions.

Tonight the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy, Mr. Alberto Giovanetti, attended the oath-taking ceremony of H.E. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the 23rd President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The Embassy of Switzerland congratulates the Hon’ble President and wishes him every success. As a longstanding partner, we look forward to further strengthening the bilateral relations between 🇨🇭 and 🇧🇩. #SwissinBD

“What a game!” This morning, the team of the Embassy of Switzerland joined thousands of Bangladeshi football lovers at a public viewing of the quarterfinal between Switzerland and Argentina. Congratulations to Argentina on its victory and qualification for the semifinals. Bangladesh’s passion for football is extraordinary: the country has more Argentina fans than Argentina has inhabitants. The morning once again showed that football unites people. A special thank you to @daffodilvarsity for hosting this memorable event. @nati_sfv_asf

To mark the upcoming UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Ambassador Reto Renggli hosted a stakeholder dinner at the Swiss Residence. It was attended by the Hon’ble Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon’ble Members of Parliament, UN colleagues, civil society representatives and international human rights experts. At a lecture held at Dhaka University yesterday, Ambassador Renggli said during his address that "Bangladesh’s accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture represents a significant commitment to upholding human rights and safeguarding human dignity. In this regard, Switzerland will support efforts to strengthen the independence and effectiveness of institutions, including through National Human Rights Commission reform, for the protection and promotion of human rights in the country."

Ambassador Reto Renggli paid a courtesy call on the Hon’ble Speaker of the Parliament of Bangladesh today. During the meeting, the Ambassador noted that Parliament plays a pivotal role in any democracy, with debate, consensus and compromise as some of its key ingredients. Switzerland, together with UNDP, has been supporting the strengthening of democratic institutions in Bangladesh, including Parliament. The Hon’ble Speaker appreciated Switzerland’s partnership in strengthening democratic institutions and expressed interest in exploring collaboration between the two parliaments. As a distinguished former footballer and former representative of Bangladesh to FIFA, he wished the Swiss team all the best in the ongoing World Cup.

Mr. Alberto Giovanetti, Counsellor and Head of Political, Economic and Communication Affairs of the Embassy of Switzerland, visited @yyventures and @ImpactHubDHK, social businesses focused on incubation and investment, supporting early stage social entrepreneurs. It was a pleasure to meet the team led by its founder and Managing Director @ShazeebIslam and learn about their initiatives to support socially and environmentally conscious businesses. Promoting impact investment is an area where the Embassy of Switzerland is also very active. It was nice to engage with this motivated team and explore potential avenues for collaboration.

Abolishing the death penalty worldwide remains a priority of 🇨🇭 human rights diplomacy. Yesterday, the University of Dhaka’s Centre for Advanced Legal Studies launched a research report titled "𝑳𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒍 𝑹𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒉: 𝑨𝒏 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒚𝒔𝒊𝒔", sparking a rich discussion among legal experts, civil society and academia. The Honourable Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs attended as Chief Guest. ℹ️Read the full report produced in collaboration with The Death Penalty Project and funded by the @SwissMFA and the European Union🇪🇺: deathpenaltyproject.org/reso… #SwissinBD @SwissPeaceHR @EUinBangladesh

Bangladesh and Switzerland held the 6th round of bilateral political consultations in Dhaka on 2 June 2026, led by Ambassador Markus Leitner, Assistant Foreign Secretary and Head of the Asia Pacific Division of Switzerland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh Reto Renggli along with Ambassador Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Secretary (East and West, Bilateral Affairs) of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.      The discussions reflected the long-standing friendship between the two countries and covered a wide range of topics, including diplomatic relations, economic partnership, private sector collaboration, and regional and global developments.  With bilateral trade exceeding USD 1 billion and a strong presence of Swiss companies in Bangladesh, economic relations remain an important pillar of this partnership. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening economic cooperation and supporting an enabling environment for businesses to grow and invest.  The consultations also included exchanges on the Rohingya crisis, reform priorities, human rights, and cooperation in multilateral forums, including the UN and international Geneva.    Following the consultations, they met with H.E. Ms. Shama Obaed Islam, MP, Honourable State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, during which they reiterated Switzerland’s keen interest in further strengthening multifaceted ties with Bangladesh.    The Swiss delegation also engaged with eminent Bangladeshis from diverse professional backgrounds to gain insights into the country’s current political, economic, and social developments.  #SwissInBD  @SwissMFA @BDMOFA

The Embassy is partnering with the Human Rights Support Society for the #HumanRightsOlympiad2026, which will help school students from four divisions better understand what rights they hold and how to claim them. Mr. Alberto Giovanetti, Counsellor and Head of Political, Economic and Communication Affairs of the Embassy, and Mr. Ijajul Islam, Executive Director of HRSS, signed the agreement last week. Selection rounds of the Olympiad will take place in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna and Dhaka in July, followed by a final round in Dhaka in August. #SwissinBD #humanrights @hrssbd

Alberto Giovanetti, Counsellor at the Embassy, was pleased to join the jury panel at the #SIMcubator2026 Grand Finale, where young entrepreneurs showcased inspiring ideas and innovative solutions. 🚀 Congratulations to all the finalists and especially Tickify, Tutor Provide, and Eco Sentinels for emerging as the winning teams! Special thanks to @SELISE_Group and the @HSGStGallen in 🇨🇭 for this excellent initiative supporting Bangladesh’s startup ecosystem. Switzerland remains committed to fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and youth-driven initiatives that contribute to sustainable and inclusive development.🌱 #SwissinBD

From the timeless alleys of Old Dhaka to the majestic heritage of Rajshahi, our 🇨🇭colleagues from the Embassy recently embarked on a beautiful journey discovering the rich culture, history, and architectural treasures of 🇧🇩. #SwissInBD

Ambassador Renggli was pleased to meet the Hon’ble State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh this morning. They discussed a wide range of bilateral issues and highlighted the importance of strengthening diplomatic, economic, multilateral and people to people ties between🇨🇭and🇧🇩. Addressing the Rohingya refugee crisis, the State Minister appreciated Switzerland’s support.🇨🇭looks forward to further deepening its strong partnership with Bangladesh.

The Embassy was excited to host the book launch of “Spaces of Belonging – The Architecture of Muzharul Islam” in Dhaka yesterday, following its successful debut in Switzerland last month. We extend our sincere thanks to our valued partners - the Institute of Architects Bangladesh&the Muzharul Islam Archive at the UAP - as well as 🇨🇭architect and editor Niklaus Graber, whose dedication has brought this important work to an international audience. The evening reflected the longstanding collaboration between 🇨🇭and 🇧🇩 in architecture, publishing, and cultural dialogue. #SwissinBD

Mr. Alberto Giovanetti, Counsellor and Head of Political, Economic and Communication Affairs at the Embassy attended the inauguration of the art exhibition ‘Alo’ at @ProthomAlo, which was attacked last December. A free and independent media is a cornerstone of any democracy. Switzerland reaffirms the need to protect journalists and media workers with the safety and protections demanded by their profession.

We are deeply saddened by the devastating fire in the Swiss mountain resort of Crans-Montana. Our heartfelt thoughts are with the victims, the injured and their loved ones. We express our deepest condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy.