Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves have increased to $36.66 billion under the Bangladesh Bank’s gross accounting method, while reserves stood at $31.96 billion under the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) BPM6 methodology, according to the central bank.
Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan said that as of July 16, the country’s gross foreign exchange reserves reached $36.664 billion, while reserves calculated under the IMF’s Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6) stood at $31.966 billion.
The reserves were higher than the levels recorded on July 13, when gross reserves stood at $36.546 billion and BPM6 reserves at $31.907 billion.
Earlier, on July 12, gross reserves were $36.582 billion, while BPM6 reserves were $31.943 billion.
The reserve position declined after Bangladesh settled $1.485 billion in import bills through the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) on July 7. Following the payment, gross reserves fell to $36.520 billion, while BPM6 reserves stood at $31.871 billion.
Before the ACU payment, gross reserves had reached $37.848 billion on July 6, with BPM6 reserves at $33.199 billion. On July 2, the corresponding figures were $37.659 billion and $33.013 billion, while on June 30, gross reserves stood at $37.562 billion and BPM6 reserves at $32.901 billion.
The ACU is a regional payment arrangement among the central banks of nine Asian countries, enabling settlement of import and export transactions every two months. Its members include Bangladesh, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bhutan and the Maldives.
