16.2pc growth of remittance inflow till April 18

Bangladesh’s remittance inflow reached US$1.96 billion in the first 18 days of April, showing a continued upward trend and is projected to surpass $3.0 billion by the end of the month.

According to the latest data from Bangladesh Bank (BB), expatriates sent $1.96 billion during April 1-18, compared to $1.69 billion during the same period last year. This represents a 16.2 percent year-on-year increase for the period.

In the current fiscal year (FY2025-26), total remittance inflows from July to April 18 stood at $28.17 billion, up from $23.47 billion in the same period of FY2024-25. This reflects a growth of around 20 percent year-on-year.

Analysts and central bank officials attribute this strong and ‘unusual’ growth to several factors, including a more stable US dollar exchange rate, higher incomes of expatriates in developed economies, and a steady global economic recovery.

Officials from the Finance Ministry and Bangladesh Bank expressed optimism about the trend, noting that the sustained rise in remittance inflows will help ease foreign exchange pressures and support stability in the country’s currency market.