The World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief predicts that remittance flows to Bangladesh will remain stagnant at $23 billion in 2023, attributing the trend to the lingering effects of the recent balance of payment crisis and exchange controls. The report highlights that currency depreciation and exchange rate management have driven migrants in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to leverage black-market premiums for fund transfers through both informal and formal channels.
While remittance inflows in Bangladesh have been steady at around $22 billion for the past two years, the report anticipates a potential impact on job generation for South Asian workers in Gulf countries due to low oil prices in 2024. The World Bank emphasizes the importance of addressing exchange rate issues and encouraging remittances through formal channels to stimulate significant improvements in formal remittance flows.