Expatriate Bangladeshis have sent $915.91 million back home in the first 12 days of 2024, signaling a positive trend for the country’s forex reserves. This surge follows the inflow of $1.07 billion in the first 15 days of December 2023 and $794.4 million in the first 10 days of November 2023. State-owned commercial banks received $81.86 million, specialized banks contributed $10.17 million, private commercial banks obtained $820.54 million, and foreign commercial banks received $3.34 million during this period.
Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC led as the largest remittance collector, securing $335.29 million. Analysts attribute the positive trend to a 50-paisa appreciation of the taka against the US dollar and anticipate sustained inflows, especially with the upcoming Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr. In December 2023, Bangladesh received a total remittance of $1.98 billion, marking a 2.59% monthly increase and a 17.07% YoY hike. The country received a total of $21.82 billion in remittances for the calendar year 2023, reflecting a modest 2.54% YoY rise.