According to updated data from Bangladesh Bank, $247.80 million had arrived in the country in July 2025. By that calculation, an additional $38.10 million came in over the course of one year. In the last two days of the month alone (July 30 and 31), $15.20 million arrived.
At the current exchange rate (Tk 123 per dollar), expatriates sent approximately Tk 35,166 crore to the country in July. In the same period last year, this amount was approximately Tk 30,469 crore. As a result, an additional Tk 4,700 crore arrived in one year.
Banking sector insiders say that due to government incentives for sending remittances through legal channels, expansion of digital services by banks, increased networks of exchange houses abroad, and strict monitoring against hundi (informal money transfer), expatriates are now sending more money through formal channels. This has had a positive impact on remittance flows.
According to economists, this growth in remittances will help strengthen the country's foreign exchange reserves and, by increasing the supply of dollars, help stabilize the exchange rate. At the same time, it will somewhat reduce the pressure on the central bank to pay import bills and service foreign debt.
Private Banks Dominate the Remittance Market
According to Bangladesh Bank data, approximately 73 percent of total remittances in July, or $208.98 million, came through private banks.
State-owned banks brought in $43.79 million, which is about 15 percent of the total flow. The specialized Bangladesh Krishi Bank alone collected $32.55 million, about 11 percent of total remittances. On the other hand, foreign banks brought in only $0.53 million.
According to analysts, private banks have consistently maintained dominance in the remittance market due to their extensive exchange house networks, fast money transfer systems, mobile banking connectivity, and the trust of expatriates.
Islami Bank Tops the List
As a single bank, Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC collected the highest amount of remittances in July as well. The bank brought in $45.22 million, which is about 16 percent of total remittances. In other words, roughly one out of every six dollars coming into the country came through this bank.
In second place is Bangladesh Krishi Bank, which brought in $32.55 million. In third place is Brac Bank, which brought in $27 million.
Among state-owned banks, Agrani Bank collected the most remittances, bringing in $24.57 million, which is more than half of the total remittances received by state-owned banks.
Additionally, City Bank, Dhaka Bank, Dutch-Bangla Bank, Eastern Bank, and Trust Bank each collected over $10 million in remittances.
Seven Banks Received Zero Remittances
According to Bangladesh Bank data, seven banks were unable to collect any remittances in July. According to insiders, these banks are unable to play an effective role in the remittance market due to weak international networks, limited expatriate customer bases, and a lack of sufficient exchange houses.
Meanwhile, export earnings have also remained positive recently. With both export earnings and remittance inflows increasing, an opportunity has arisen to further strengthen the country's foreign exchange reserves. At the same time, this flow will play an important role in maintaining stability in the dollar market and smoothly meeting import expenses.
