Bangladesh’s gross foreign exchange reserves have increased to $36.30 billion, according to latest data released by the central bank, while net or usable foreign exchange reserves - the more relevant figure - stood at $31.5 billion.
Given that Bangladesh on average imported goods and services worth around $6 billion per month in the 2025-26 fiscal, the usable reserves should be good enough to for at least 5 months' imports bills, provided there is no drastic deviation from the last year.
The country's total imports during 2025-26 was $71.14 billion, based on Bangladesh Bank settlement data.
Prior to the latest update, on October 14, the gross figure stood at $36.19 billion, while usable reserves were $31.38 billion.
That means in the last one week, gross reserves grew by $114.84 million, while usable reserves grew faster, by $116.09 million over the same period.
Net or usable foreign exchange reserves are calculated by deducting short-term liabilities from the total gross reserves. This accounting standard serves as a critical indicator for evaluating a nation's capacity for foreign trade transactions and its capability to fulfill international financial obligations.