Published : 25 May 2026, 01:15 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:46 PM
Remittance inflow to Bangladesh has continued to surge before Eid-ul-Azha, with expatriates sending nearly $3 billion in the first 23 days of May.
According to Bangladesh Bank’s weekly remittance data released on Sunday, expatriates sent $2.98 billion between May 1 and May 23 in the 2025-26 fiscal year, which ends on Jun 30.
The amount is 41.31 percent higher than the inflow recorded during the same period last year and 0.22 percent higher than the total remittance received throughout the whole of May last year.
In the first 23 days of May 2025, Bangladesh had received $2.10 billion in remittances, while the total inflow for the entire month stood at $2.97 billion.
Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated in Bangladesh on May 28.
Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Arief Hossain Khan expects the upward trend in remittance to continue until then.
Speaking to bdnews24.com, the central bank executive director said: “May could set a new remittance record. It may cross the $4 billion milestone.”
Overall, expatriates sent $32.31 billion between Jul 1, 2025 and May 23, 2026, marking a 21.26 percent increase from the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.
The amount is also 6.52 percent higher than the total remittance received in the entire 2024-25 fiscal year.
In April this year, expatriates sent $3.13 billion in remittances, up 13.62 percent year-on-year.
It marked the fifth consecutive month in which remittance inflow exceeded $3 billion.
Banks are currently offering around Tk 123 per dollar for remittance transfers.
At that rate, expatriates sent approximately Tk 366.05 billion to Bangladesh in the first 23 days of May.
The daily average inflow during the period stood at $129.4 million, equivalent to around Tk 16.91 billion.
If remittance continues to arrive at the same pace during the remaining eight days of May, the monthly total will surpass $4 billion, setting a new all-time monthly record for Bangladesh.
Remittance inflows usually decline after the two Eid festivals each year.
However, that trend did not materialise after Eid-ul-Fitr 2026, as April also recorded more than $3 billion in inflows.
In March, expatriates had sent a record $3.75 billion in remittances, the highest monthly inflow in Bangladesh’s history.
The previous record was set in March 2025 with $3.29 billion, also driven by Ramadan and Eid spending.
Every year, expatriates send higher remittance amounts before the two Eids to support additional family expenses back home.
Despite Eid-ul-Fitr being celebrated on Mar 21 this year, the positive momentum in remittance inflows has continued.
Among the country’s key economic indicators, remittance currently remains the strongest support for Bangladesh’s crisis-hit economy.
Bangladesh received $3.22 billion in remittances in December 2025, followed by $3.17 billion in January and $3.02 billion in February.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, expatriates sent a record $30.33 billion in remittances, surpassing all previous records and marking a 26.83 percent increase from the 2023-24 fiscal year.
