Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh has received remittances totaling $1.312 billion (Tk 16,009 crore at an exchange rate of Tk 122 per dollar) in the first 15 days of February 2025.
Earlier, in January, expatriate Bangladeshis sent $2.19 billion in remittances. For the last six consecutive months, since August of the current fiscal year, remittance inflows have exceeded $2 billion each month.
According to the latest data from Bangladesh Bank, remittances exceeding $1.312 billion were received in the first half of February. The distribution across different banking sectors is as follows:
- State-owned banks: $466.55 million
- Specialized banks (including Krishi Bank): $88.79 million
- Private banks: $753.9 million
- Foreign banks: Approximately $3 million
However, during this period, 11 banks did not receive any remittances, including state-owned Bangladesh Development Bank (BDBL) and Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank. Among private banks, Community Bank, Citizens Bank, ICB Islamic Bank, and Padma Bank recorded no remittance inflows. Additionally, foreign banks such as Habib Bank, National Bank of Pakistan, State Bank of India, and Woori Bank also received no remittances.
In December 2024, Bangladesh recorded its highest-ever monthly remittance inflow of $2.64 billion (Tk 31,668 crore), breaking the previous record set in July 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic ($2.59 billion). Compared to December 2023, the remittance inflow in December 2024 increased by $648 million.
During the first half of the 2024-25 fiscal year (July-December), expatriate Bangladeshis sent a total of $13.77 billion in remittances. This marks an increase of $2.977 billion compared to the same period in FY 2023-24, when remittance inflows stood at $10.8 billion.
The steady growth in remittance inflows continues to play a crucial role in supporting Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves and economic stability.
