The cash dividend payout of ten multinational companies (MNCs) in Bangladesh dropped by 31% in 2023 compared to the previous year, as they faced difficulties in foreign currency transactions for remitting money to foreign shareholders. Out of 13 listed MNCs, only 9 declared cash dividends for 2023, while one paid an interim dividend. These 10 firms declared a total of Tk3,552 crore dividend, accounting for 56% of their total profits, compared to 91% in 2022 and Tk5,685 crore in 2021. Market insiders attribute the decrease to increased business costs and problems in repatriation of money, with several MNCs facing trouble sending money abroad due to the dollar crunch in 2022, including Bata Shoe Bangladesh, HeidelbergCement Bangladesh, Marico Bangladesh, BATBC, Reckitt Benckiser Bangladesh, Linde Bangladesh and Unilever Consumer Care. Grameenphone declared its lowest dividend since 2010 at 125%, while BAT Bangladesh halved its cash dividend to 100%, the lowest in over a decade. An anonymous MNC official cited difficulties in repatriating dividends due to foreign currency shortage, leading to reinvestment locally instead of higher dividends.
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