The foreign exchange reserves of Bangladesh fell below US $20 billion after paying $1.75 billion liabilities of Asian Clearing Union (ACU), said Arif Hossain Khan, Executive Director and Spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, on Sunday.

According to Bangladesh Bank data, the country's gross foreign exchange reserves have dropped to $25 billion after paying the ACU’s bill.

As per the standard of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) BPM-6 calculation, the reserve is now $19.70 billion.

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Earlier, on March 6, the gross foreign exchange reserve was $26.60 billion. As per the BPM-6 it was $21.40 billion.

The Asian Clearing Union (ACU) is a payment arrangement designed to facilitate the settlement of import and export transactions among its member countries.

Currently, its members include Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, with their respective central banks serving as participants in the system. By enabling transactions in a structured manner, the ACU helps streamline trade payments and reduce the need for hard currency reserves in bilateral trade among these nations.

The Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, 6th edition (BPM-6), is the IMF's standard methodology for compiling balance of payments and international investment position statistics.

It provides a more accurate measure of usable reserves by ensuring consistency in reporting across countries.

The difference between gross reserves and BPM-6 reserves arises because the IMF method excludes certain types of reserves that are not readily available for use, offering a clearer picture of a country's liquid foreign exchange holdings.