Bangladesh Bank (BB) purchased an additional US $171 million from 16 commercial banks on Wednesday as part of ongoing efforts to stabilise the country’s foreign exchange market.
The dollars were bought at a cut-off rate of Tk 122.30 per US dollar, a central bank official said.
This intervention follows a major purchase on Monday when the central bank acquired $218.5 million from 16 banks at the same rate. With these recent transactions, BB’s total dollar purchases in February have reached $389.5 million in just four days.
Throughout the current fiscal year, Bangladesh Bank has been actively buying dollars to curb rapid Taka appreciation and strengthen foreign exchange reserves.
The total purchases for FY2025-26 have reached $4.32 billion.
BB’s recent major dollar purchases include $171 million on Feb 4 and $218.5 million on Feb 2 from 16 banks each, $55 million on Jan 29 from 5 banks, $45 million on Jan 20 from 2 banks, $81 million on Jan 12 from 10 banks, and $223.5 million on Jan 6 from 14 banks, all at a uniform cut-off rate of Tk 122.30 per US dollar.
Arif Hosain Khan, Executive Director and Spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, confirmed the latest purchase, noting that the central bank employs an auction-based system to manage liquidity.
The key drivers behind BB’s dollar purchases include a surge in inward remittances, with $3.17 billion received in January 2026 leaving banks with surplus dollars; exchange rate management to establish a floor for the Taka and support exporters and remitters; and reserve strengthening, with net foreign exchange reserves standing at $28.51 billion as of December 2025.
Banking insiders say that while the dollar crisis of previous years has eased, active participation by the central bank remains critical to prevent market volatility and ensure a predictable exchange rate for trade planning.
Source: UNB