Dhaka, Apr 06 (V7N) – Following a historic surge in expatriate income last month, Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves have seen a notable increase at the beginning of April. According to the Bangladesh Bank, the country's total reserves stood at $25.63 billion as of Sunday (April 6), marking a positive turn in the financial landscape.

However, under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) calculation method, which excludes certain unusable reserve components, the actual usable reserves are estimated at $20.47 billion.

Mohammad Ibrahim Munshi, Deputy Director of the central bank, confirmed the update in a statement on Sunday night.

The improvement in reserves comes on the heels of a record-breaking remittance inflow in March. For the first time in the nation’s history, monthly remittances crossed the $3 billion mark, totaling $3.29 billion – the highest single-month figure ever recorded.

In contrast, the remittance figure for March 2023 was $1.99 billion, indicating a massive 64.7% year-on-year growth. Over the first nine months of the 2024-25 fiscal year (July to March), total remittance inflows reached $21.77 billion, which is 27.6% higher than the same period in the previous fiscal year.

The central bank noted that remittance inflows have exceeded $2 billion per month for seven consecutive months since the political transition in August 2024, which has brought renewed confidence in formal banking channels. For instance, in February 2025, remittances stood at $2.528 billion, up 17% from the same month a year earlier.

Economists and financial analysts believe this upward trend in remittances and reserves signals growing trust in the financial system and could ease pressure on the foreign exchange market, bolster import capacity, and help maintain macro-economic stability going forward.

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