Bangladesh’s forex reserves surge past $27b

Senior Staff Reporter Published: 30 April 2025, 07:11 PM
Bangladesh’s forex reserves surge past $27b

Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves have soared to $27.41 billion as of April 30, 2025, bolstered by a record-breaking surge in remittance inflows.

Bangladesh Bank Executive Director and Spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan informed this on Wednesday. This marks a significant rise from $26.73 billion on April 17.

Under the International Monetary Fund’s BPM-6 accounting system, net reserves stand at $22.05 billion, up from $21.39 billion earlier this month. 

In September 2023, the BPM-6 reserve dropped to $21 billion and continued declining to $18 billion. Following the fall of the Awami League government, the reserve began to recover as money laundering decreased. 

Over the next 19 months, the reserve gradually increased, eventually surpassing $22 billion.

The bank’s usable reserves, excluding dollars in the IMF’s SDR sector, foreign currency in banks’ clearing accounts, and ACU bills, are approximately $16 billion – sufficient to cover over three months of import liabilities.

The reserves’ growth coincides with a robust increase in expatriate remittances, which hit $2.607 billion in the first 29 days of April. 

March set a historic high with $3.29 billion, the largest monthly remittance inflow in Bangladesh’s history. 

Since the interim government took office, remittances have exceeded $2 billion for seven consecutive months, with totals of $1.914 billion in July, $2.221 billion in August, $2.404 billion in September, $2.395 billion in October, $2.2 billion in November, $2.64 billion in December, $2.11 billion in January, $2.53 billion in February, and $3.29 billion in March.

The steady remittance boom, fuelled by recent political stability, has strengthened Bangladesh’s economic position, ensuring robust reserves to meet global trade demands.