Foreign credit card spending in Bangladesh fell by nearly 13% in September 2023, reaching Tk190 crore, down from Tk 218 crore in August. US nationals, who led in credit card spending, experienced a significant drop of nearly 24%, contributing to the decline.
Despite political unrest impacting foreign travel, credit card transactions by Bangladeshi nationals abroad increased by 4.5% in September, reaching Tk437 crore compared to Tk418 crore in August. The rise is attributed to travelers favoring card transactions amid a cash dollar crisis, and the higher cash dollar rate compared to the official rate encourages credit card spending abroad. Political movements and global economic challenges have further dampened foreign nationals’ travel to Bangladesh. Despite the dollar crisis, the government maintains the travel quota for Bangladeshis at $12,000 per year for spending abroad.