The Bangladesh Bank has settled US$1.61 billion in import payments to the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) for September and October 2025, keeping the country's foreign exchange reserves above the $31-billion mark.
Following Sunday’s (9th November 2025) payment, the gross foreign exchange reserves now stand at $31.14 billion, higher than September’s $30.31 billion recorded after a similar $1.5 billion ACU payment.
Based on the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6) methodology, the reserve currently amounts to $26.44 billion, up from $25.40 billion in September.
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Before the latest ACU settlement, the gross reserve was $32.71 billion, while the BPM6 figure stood at $28 billion. The central bank has been publishing reserve figures under the IMF’s BPM6 system since June 2023, in line with the IMF loan conditions. At that time, the reserve was $24.75 billion.
Last week’s reserve figure of $32.71 billion was reportedly the highest in the past 32 months.
The ACU (Asian Clearing Union) is a regional payment mechanism that facilitates trade settlements among member countries every two months. Its current members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Sri Lanka, a former member, withdrew amid its economic crisis and has yet to rejoin despite signs of recovery.
Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves had peaked at $48 billion in August 2021 but later declined steadily, dropping to around $16 billion during the final days of the previous Awami League government.
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Since the government transition, tighter measures against money laundering have reduced hundi (illegal money transfer) operations, contributing to higher formal remittance inflows.
Remittances reached $10.90 billion from the start of the current fiscal year to November 8, representing a 14 percent rise compared to the same period a year earlier.