Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves have seen a notable rise, reaching $26.62 billion as per the IMF’s BPM6 calculation method, while the gross reserve stands at $31.5 billion, according to the latest data from Bangladesh Bank.
The increase is largely attributed to a renewed surge in remittance inflows, with remittance totaling $2.69 billion in September alone — the highest monthly inflow in recent months. In the first quarter of the 2025–26 fiscal year, remittance flows have consistently exceeded $2.4 billion per month. This trend follows a strong performance in the 2024–25 fiscal year, when total remittance reached $30.33 billion, marking a 26.8% increase over the previous year.
Bangladesh Bank spokesperson and Executive Director Arif Hossain Khan confirmed the figures on Sunday, October 5, noting that the central bank’s internal net reserve estimate is over $21 billion — a figure reported to the IMF but not made public. Historically, foreign reserves peaked at $48.04 billion in August 2021, but have since declined due to rising import costs and a dollar shortage.
However, with increasing remittance through formal channels and improved political stability, the foreign exchange market has shown signs of recovery. Notably, instead of selling dollars, Bangladesh Bank has recently resumed purchasing from commercial banks, buying $134 million and $47.5 million on September 4 and 2, respectively.
While the reserve growth is promising, experts warn that the current level still hovers near the minimum threshold required to cover three months of imports — the global standard for reserve adequacy. Nonetheless, the central bank sees renewed hope in the consistent remittance trend and expects greater stability in the reserve position if the current momentum continues through the fiscal year.
