Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves climbed to $22.24 billion on Tuesday, buoyed by a $350 million disbursement from the World Bank.
The increase came after reserves stood at $21.75 billion a day earlier, measured under the IMF’s Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM-6).
A senior official at Bangladesh Bank confirmed the update to media noting that further inflows are expected soon.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has already approved over $1.3 billion under the fourth and fifth instalments of its $4.7 billion Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and Extended Fund Facility (EFF) loan programme.
These funds, once disbursed, are expected to further enhance the country’s reserve position.
This development aligns with earlier remarks made by Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder in mid-May, when he projected that around $3.5 billion would be received from development partners-including the IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)-by the end of June.
These funds are intended to ease pressure on the balance of payments, stabilize the taka, and provide greater flexibility in managing imports and external obligations.
In parallel with these institutional inflows, a notable rebound in remittance earnings is also helping to shore up reserves. Bangladesh received $2.97 billion in remittances in May 2025, the second-highest monthly figure on record, following the all-time high of $3.29 billion recorded in March.
This sharp rise is attributed to policy measures taken by the central bank, such as streamlining remittance channels and offering incentives to overseas workers.
The combined effect of multilateral disbursements and robust remittance flows is providing much-needed relief to the country’s external sector, which had been under pressure due to high import costs, global economic volatility, and prior reserve depletion.
Economists note that the improved reserve level not only enhances Bangladesh’s import coverage-currently estimated at about four months-but also sends a positive signal to international investors and credit rating agencies.
