BD expats sent $1.99b remittances in first 21 days

Business Report:

Expatriate Bangladeshis have sent approximately US$1.99 billion in remittances during the first 21 days of June 2025, according to the latest data published by Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Sunday. This continued strong inflow underscores the positive trajectory of remittance earnings observed over the past fiscal year.

From July 2024 to 21 June 2025, remittances totaled $29.50 billion, significantly higher than the $23.29 billion received during the same period of the previous fiscal year. This represents a robust growth of $6.21 billion or 26.7 percent, marking one of the sharpest year-on-year increases in recent history.

This uptick follows a particularly strong performance in May 2025, when the country received $2.97 billion in remittances-its second-highest monthly inflow to date. That surge came on the heels of March 2025’s record-breaking $3.29 billion, the highest monthly remittance figure ever recorded in Bangladesh. Both spikes are attributed to major religious festivals-Eid-ul-Fitr in March and Eid-ul-Adha in May-when expatriates traditionally send higher amounts to support families at home.

Banking sector insiders credit this growth not only to seasonal demand but also to improvements in the formal remittance channel. Notably, there has been a decline in the use of informal routes, such as hundi, as many expatriates increasingly opt to use official banking channels due to improved exchange rate incentives and regulatory clarity.