Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves could climb to US$30 billion by June, up from the current $27 billion, amid signs of economic recovery, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur said.

Speaking at a dissemination event in Dhaka, Dr Mansur attributed the projected increase to improvements in the balance of payments, stronger remittance inflows, higher export earnings, and increased foreign financing.

“Reserves have started growing, and we expect them to rise further in the coming days,” he said, noting that the long-term goal is to push reserves to $40 billion, though this will take time.

The Policy Research Institute (PRI), in collaboration with the central bank, organized the event, which focused on ‘Spatial and Historical Financial Development in Bangladesh’.

Dr Mansur also highlighted the need for greater automation and cost reduction in financial institutions. He cautioned that the microcredit model may not be sustainable due to persistently high lending rates.

A keynote by PRI’s Principal Economist Dr Ashikur Rahman revealed that 1% of loan-account holders receive 75% of all loans, while 78% of lending is concentrated in Dhaka and Chattogram—exposing a stark regional imbalance in financial access.

PRI Chairman Dr Zaidi Sattar called for inclusive financial development, emphasising the importance of targeting underserved populations.

Deputy Governor Dr Md Habibur Rahman and other senior officials from the Bangladesh Bank and PRI also spoke at the event.