Wednesday, 15th April 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 15th April 2026, 5:29 PM
After a gap of nearly one and a half months, Bangladesh Bank has once again stepped into the foreign exchange market to purchase US dollars from commercial banks, reflecting shifting dynamics in the country’s external sector driven by stronger remittance inflows and stabilising currency pressures.
On Wednesday (15 April), the central bank purchased $70 million (equivalent to $7 crore) from a single commercial bank through a competitive multi-price auction (MPA) mechanism. The transaction was conducted at an exchange rate and cut-off rate of Tk 122.75 per US dollar.
This marks the first dollar purchase by the central bank since 2 March, when it acquired $25 million from two banks at a slightly lower cut-off rate of Tk 122.30 per dollar. The latest move indicates continued efforts by the monetary authority to manage liquidity conditions in the foreign exchange market while maintaining stability in the exchange rate regime.
| Date | Amount Purchased | Number of Banks | Cut-off Rate (Tk per USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 March 2026 | $25 million | 2 banks | Tk 122.30 |
| 15 April 2026 | $70 million | 1 bank | Tk 122.75 |
Since the beginning of the 2025–26 fiscal year, Bangladesh Bank has purchased a cumulative $5.5635 billion (approximately $5.56 billion) from commercial banks. These interventions form part of the central bank’s broader strategy to absorb excess foreign currency supply from the market while preventing excessive appreciation of the local currency.
The renewed intervention comes amid a sustained rise in remittance inflows, which has significantly improved foreign exchange liquidity. In March alone, Bangladesh received a record $3.755 billion in remittances—the highest monthly inflow in the country’s history. At prevailing exchange rates, this amounts to more than Tk 460 billion.
Preliminary data also shows that between 1 and 14 April, expatriate Bangladeshis sent home $1.607 billion. Overall remittance inflows for the July–14 April period of the current fiscal year stood at $27.81 billion, representing a 20.6% increase compared with the same period last year.
Officials at Bangladesh Bank attribute the strong remittance performance to a combination of policy interventions and market reforms. Tightened monitoring of informal money transfer channels such as hundi, alongside incentives for remitters and improvements in banking infrastructure, have encouraged higher flows through formal channels.
The strengthening remittance trend has also contributed to greater stability in the foreign exchange market, easing pressure on reserves and supporting the central bank’s ability to intervene strategically.
According to the latest available figures, Bangladesh’s gross foreign exchange reserves stood at $34.87 billion as of 15 April. Under the International Monetary Fund’s BPM6 accounting methodology, reserves were recorded at $30.20 billion, marking a return above the key $30 billion threshold.
While recent developments suggest improving external stability, analysts caution that underlying pressures remain, including import demand, external debt servicing obligations, and global economic uncertainty.
Nevertheless, the combination of stronger remittance inflows and selective central bank intervention is currently providing a buffer for the foreign exchange market. Policymakers are expected to continue closely monitoring liquidity conditions to maintain stability while avoiding excessive volatility in the exchange rate.
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