Expat Bangladeshis remit $9.91 billion in July-Feb period

The ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh has not in any way affected remittance inflow.

In the first eight months of the 2014-15 fiscal (July-February), expatriates sent home $9.91 billion, nearly 8 percent higher than the same period the previous year.
 
About $1.18 billion was remitted in February alone.
 
The BNP-led alliance is going ahead with violent street protests since Jan 5 to press for a snap election. 
 
Bangladesh suffered losses of about Tk 1.2 trillion because of the agitations, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told Parliament last week.
 
Kazi Saidur Rahaman, General Manager of the central bank’s Forex Reserve & Treasury Management Department, said February’s figure was higher than those of the same months in previous three years.
 
“There has been no impact of political unrest on remittance inflow,” he told bdnews24.com on Monday.
 
Bangladesh’s forex reserves have risen to a new high, thanks to buoyant remittance. 
 
It stood at $23.04 billion on Monday, the second highest among South Asian nations after India.
 
Meanwhile, the ongoing political unrest has pushed up imports. 
 
The Asian Clearing Union (ACU) bill for January and February stands at $1.9 billion, roughly $119 million more than that of the November-December period.
 
Bangladesh pays import bills to ACU member states every two months.