Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves have crossed $27.12 billion under the BPM6 accounting method prescribed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
This is the highest level the country’s foreign exchange reserves have reached since adopting the IMFs globally practiced calculation method.
According to Bangladesh Bank, the gross reserves stand at $31.94 billion, boosted by a purchase of $107 million from commercial lenders on Thursday.
This is the first time in history that the country’s reserves have exceeded the $27 billion under the BPM6 framework, which the IMF recommended as part of its conditions for a $5.5 billion loan to ensure transparent and comparable reporting of external assets.
The Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, Sixth Edition (BPM6) is a global statistical framework developed for compiling external sector data.
Under this method, gross reserves exclude certain assets – such as funds held against export development bonds, Asian Clearing Union payments, and deposits with foreign branches of local banks – that are not readily available for external payments.
This provides a lower but more realistic measure of a country’s usable reserves.
According to central bank data, Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves have fluctuated sharply over the past five years amid changing global and domestic conditions.
The gross reserves, calculated without the BPM6, had reached an all-time high of around $48 billion in August 2021, supported by record remittances and low import spending during the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the figure declined steadily from 2022 as import bills surged and the taka depreciated, straining the balance of payments.
By late 2023, the reserves had hovered around $20 billion before recovering in mid-2025 to roughly $30-32 billion as import demand softened and remittance inflows strengthened.
Economists say the recent rebound reflects cautious rebuilding under IMF supervision and Bangladesh Bank’s consistent foreign-exchange operations.
Between July 13 and October 9, Bangladesh Bank purchased a total of $2.09 billion through 14 foreign exchange auctions, according to official data. The auctions, conducted to rebuild reserves and stabilise the interbank market, show a gradual rise in the weighted average rate from Tk 121.50 in July to Tk 121.80 per US dollar in October.
Market data shows that the central bank bought $171 million in its first auction on July 13, followed by regular weekly operations through August and September before two large purchases totalling $211 million in early October.
Economic analyst Md Mazedul Haque said the consistent buying pattern reflects a deliberate reserve accumulation strategy under the IMF programme, while also injecting liquidity into the banking system as import demand remains moderate.
From July to October 9, inward remittance reached $8.4 billion, up 14.4 percent year-on-year, shows central bank data.
