News Flash
DHAKA, Jan 19, 2026 (BSS) – Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur today expressed strong optimism regarding the country's macroeconomic stability, projecting that foreign currency reserves are on track to meet and surpass US$35 billion by the end of the current fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26).
“Reaching the $35 billion mark would establish a very comfortable level for the economy,” he said while speaking at a seminar on "Systematic Efforts to Understand Economic Pulse: Importance of Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI)" at Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) office in the city.
MCCI and Policy Exchange Bangladesh (PEB) jointly organised the seminar.
In his speech, Ahsan H. Mansur clarified that this target is expected to be met without relying on IMF money, stating that any additional external funding would simply be icing on the cake rather than a necessity for hitting the target.
The governor highlighted significant progress in the balance of payments and the external sector.
While acknowledging that the export sector is currently facing headwinds and remains a weak point, the governor pointed to favourable developments in global import prices.
He noted that the country has achieved terms of trade gains due to significantly reduced energy prices and generally stable or declining commodity prices.
"If you look at petroleum price for example the price average decline is about 30%," the Governor stated, adding that this reduction represents a direct gain for the economy.
Consequently, while import payments have increased by approximately 5% to 6% this year, the actual volume of imports has risen much more significantly, he added.
He said this growth in volume is corroborated by data from the Chittagong port, which indicates strong increases in both tonnage and container numbers.
The governor addressed the very difficult liquidity situation the banking sector previously faced, which began with a shortage of foreign exchange.
He revealed that the central bank had to settle accumulated arrears totalling approximately $3.5 billion.
The Governor explained that a prior drop in reserves from $48 billion to $20 billion had caused a massive contraction in the money supply, with trillions of taka leaving the country.
This led to a severe deceleration in deposit growth, which stood at only 6.4% as of December 2024, creating a scarcity of funds for private sector financing, he added.
The Governor cited recent data showing that deposit growth has rebounded to 11%.
“With total deposits now standing at approximately 20 trillion taka, this growth rate translates to an influx of roughly 2.2 trillion taka into the system,” he added.
Emphasizing the importance of real-time analytics, the Governor remarked that policymakers do not have a crystal ball and must rely on high-frequency data—such as daily exchange rates, interbank interest rates, and remittance flows—to make decisions.
He shared positive news regarding remittances, noting that daily collection had recently topped $170 million, and monthly figures were tracking at roughly 70% of the previous month's total at the time of the speech.
The governor also welcomed the introduction of the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) as a new kid in town, thanking the MCCI and Policy Exchange for the initiative, noting that the addition of such indicators aids in the art of policymaking.
Deputy High Commissioner and Development Director, British High Commission to Bangladesh James Goldman attended the seminar as the special guest while MCCI President Kamran T. Rahman delivered the welcome speech.
PEB Chairman and CEO Dr. M. Masrur Reaz delivered the keynote presentation while Head of Prosperity and Economic Growth, FCDO Issam Mosaddeq delivered the Contextual Background on PMI.
