by 
Dhaka, April 30, 2025
Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves have crossed $22 billion, reaching $22.04 billion (2,204.78 crore USD) as per the methodology of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to a senior official of Bangladesh Bank. However, under Bangladesh Bank’s calculation, which deducts $536 crore, the reserves stand at $27.41 billion (2,741 crore USD).
Arif Hossain Khan, Executive Director and Spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, confirmed the figures on Wednesday, April 30. He stated, “The reserves are at a satisfactory level. One of the key conditions for securing the IMF loan was to maintain the net reserves at the desired level by June. We are hopeful of meeting the IMF’s conditions by then.”
A senior official from Bangladesh Bank’s relevant department revealed that the net usable reserves are currently around $17 billion, falling short of the IMF’s target by approximately $1 billion. The IMF requires the net reserves to be slightly above $17 billion by June to meet the loan conditions.
Historically, Bangladesh’s reserves peaked at $48.06 billion in August 2022. However, they steadily declined, reaching $20.39 billion by the end of July last year before the government’s fall. Since then, the central bank has refrained from selling dollars from the reserves.
According to Bangladesh Bank, overdue payments worth $370 crore, inherited from the previous government, have been cleared through market management. The central bank has ensured no new overdue payments are accumulated. Despite interest accrual on foreign loans, external debt decreased by approximately $74 crore over the last three months, standing at $103.64 billion by December’s end. The surge in reserves is primarily driven by a 28% growth in exports and an 11% increase in remittances.
AI/MR
