Expatriate Bangladeshis sent $3.17 billion in remittances in January 2026, marking the third-highest monthly inflow in the country’s history.
The amount is 45.41 percent higher than January 2025, when remittances stood at $2.18 billion, Bangladesh Bank Executive Director and spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan said on Sunday (February 1).
According to Bangladesh Bank data, the highest remittance inflow was recorded in March 2025 at $3.29 billion, followed by December 2025 with $3.22 billion.
Officials and analysts say remittance inflows have increased ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections and the holy month of Ramadan, as expatriates send additional money to support family expenses. If the current trend continues, it is expected to provide relief to the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
Bangladesh Bank noted that remittance inflows have remained strong in recent months due to increased use of formal banking channels. Banking sector stakeholders say the flow of money through legal channels has improved as hundi activities declined and the exchange rate remained relatively stable.
In the current fiscal year, expatriates sent a total of $10.94 billion between July and January, which is about 8 percent higher than the $10.56 billion received during the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Bangladesh Bank statistics show that monthly remittances in the current fiscal year stood at $2.47 billion in July, $2.42 billion in August, $2.68 billion in September, and $2.56 billion in October.
Meanwhile, the country’s foreign exchange reserves stood at $32 billion as of January 15. Under the IMF’s BPM6 accounting system, the reserve is estimated at $28 billion, according to the central bank.
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