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Published : 25 Feb 2026, 10:56 PM
Bangladesh Bank’s foreign exchange reserves stood at more than $30 billion on the day Ahsan H Mansur was removed from office as governor.
The reserves rose notably in recent months as remittances from expatriate Bangladeshis increased while import payments and other external expenses declined, boosting the stock of foreign currency held by the central bank.
Moreover, no excess demand for foreign currency has emerged in the market, allowing Bangladesh Bank to purchase dollars from commercial banks at regular intervals.
Authorised dealer banks are also holding surplus dollar stocks beyond their immediate requirements.
As a result of these factors, remittances have been on an upward trend for several months.
At the close of business on Wednesday, reserves calculated under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) BPM6 manual reached $30.27 billion.
The bank’s spokesperson and Executive Director Arief Hossain Khan reported that gross reserves exceeded $35 billion, specifically reaching $35.03 billion.
On the previous day, the central bank purchased $87 million from banks at a rate of Tk 122.30 per dollar.
A total of $1.53 billion has been purchased during February.
In the current 2025-26 financial year to date, the central bank has acquired $5.46 billion.
The dollar crisis was acute both before and after the 2024 mass uprising.
Following the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5, 2024, reserves stood at $20.48 billion according to BPM6 and $25.62 billion in gross terms as of Aug 22.
The interim government appointed economist Mansur as the governor of Bangladesh Bank for a four-year term on Aug 13, 2024.
He served in the role for 18 months and 12 days.
On Wednesday, his remaining tenure was cancelled, and garment industry entrepreneur Md Mostaqur Rahman was appointed as the new governor.
Before his departure, Mansur had outlined a plan to increase gross reserves to $35 billion by this coming June.
