Remittance inflow stays strong as BD expats send $1.61bn in 17 days of May
Staff Correspondent
Bangladesh has received US $1.61 billion in inward remittances during the first 17 days of May, marking a robust flow of foreign currency from expatriate workers, according to a revised update from Bangladesh Bank.
The data shows that remittances during this period averaged $94.70 million per day, significantly higher than the $75.1 million daily average recorded in May 2024.
A breakdown of the remittance sources reveals that $493.3 million came through state-owned banks, while two specialised state-owned (agricultural) banks channelled $159.9 million.
Private commercial banks facilitated $962.7 million of the total, and foreign banks brought in $313.0 million. Among all banks, Islami Bank registered the highest remittance inflow, receiving $277.8 million.
From July 2024 to 17 May 2025—within the current fiscal year FY 2024–25—Bangladesh has received a record $26.14 billion in remittances. This figure surpasses the total of $23.91 billion received during the entire FY 2023–24.
Expatriates have already sent $24.54 billion between July and April of FY 2024–25, which exceeds the previous fiscal year’s full-year figure. Monthly inflows over this ten-month period reflect consistent growth:
April: $2.75 billion
March: $3.29 billion
February: $2.53 billion
January: $2.19 billion
December: $2.64 billion
November: $2.2 billion
October: $2.39 billion
September: $2.4 billion
August: $2.22 billion
July: $1.91 billion
The steady rise in remittance inflow continues to bolster Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves and contributes significantly to the national economy, experts said.
