Inflow reaches to $32.76b in 11-month with 19pc growth
Bangladesh received $3.43 billion in workers’ remittances in May 2026, registering a 15.34 percent increase compared to the corresponding month of the previous year as migrant workers and Bangladeshis living abroad sent more money home to help their families celebrate Eid-ul-Azha, according to the latest data released by Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Monday.
The country received $3.43 billion in remittances during May 2026 against $2.97 billion in May 2025, reflecting the continued confidence of expatriate Bangladeshis in using formal banking channels to send money home.
A late-month surge significantly boosted the final tally. In the final eight days of the month alone-spanning May 24 to May 31-the country pulled in $448.97 million, pushing the total monthly intake to $3.425 billion, up by approximately $455.6 million year-on-year.
The cumulative data for the first 11 months of the current FY26 (July-May) indicates an even stronger upward trend.
Total remittance inflows reached $32.757 billion, compared to $27.507 billion during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.
This represents an absolute increase of nearly $5.25 billion, yielding a year-on-year growth rate of 19.09 percent.
Central bank officials and industry insiders attribute the sustained growth to a combination of stricter regulatory oversight and market mechanisms.
Key drivers include heightened surveillance against illegal hundi (informal money transfer) networks, ongoing government incentives for legal channels, modernized banking infrastructure, and an expanding migrant workforce.
Furthermore, competitive exchange rates offered by local commercial banks have heavily incentivized expatriates to utilize formal banking channels.
Economists emphasize that alongside export earnings, remittances remain a vital source of foreign currency for Bangladesh.
The current robust inflows are playing a critical role in rebuilding diminished foreign exchange reserves, settling international import bills, and stabilizing the dollar market.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves stood at $34.77 billion reflects the country’s external sector stability amidst ongoing global economic uncertainties, according to the last data released yesterday by the central bank.
The central bank said that under the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM-6) accounting standard, the country’s reserves were recorded at US$30.11 billion.
