Bangladesh Bank has paid $1.51 billion to the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) to settle import bills for March and April, causing the country’s foreign exchange reserves to fall below $34 billion again.
Bangladesh Bank Executive Director and spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan confirmed the payment on Thursday, May 7. Member countries under the ACU system settle trade-related payments every two months.
According to the latest central bank data, Bangladesh’s gross foreign exchange reserves stood at $35.34 billion on May 6. Under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) BPM-6 accounting method, reserves were recorded at $30.67 billion.
After the ACU payment, gross reserves declined to $33.80 billion, while BPM-6 reserves dropped to around $29.12 billion.
Despite the decline, central bank officials said the reserve position remains stable. Net International Reserves (NIR), or usable reserves, are currently around $27 billion.
With average monthly import costs estimated at $5.5 billion, the existing reserves can cover nearly five months of imports. International standards generally recommend maintaining reserves sufficient for at least three months of imports.
The ACU is a regional payment settlement mechanism headquartered in Tehran, Iran. Its members include Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Myanmar and several other Asian countries. Sri Lanka currently remains suspended from the system due to conditions linked to its economic crisis.
