Bangladesh’s external debt servicing jumped 13.22 percent year-on-year to $667.11 million in the first two months of the current fiscal year, official figures show.

According to data released by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) on Sunday, the government repaid $488.79 million in principal and $178.32 million in interest between July and August.

This compares with $415.62 million in principal and $173.60 million in interest during the same period a year earlier.

At the same time, foreign loan disbursements rose sharply. Development partners released $750 million during the two months, up from $458.24 million in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

Fresh commitments from lenders also increased, with Bangladesh securing around $244 million in July-August, compared to just $20 million in commitments in the same period last year.

The latest data highlight both the rising burden of external debt servicing and the growing inflow of foreign funds for development projects as the government seeks to manage financing pressures.