Reserves will increase in June: Governor

Currently, Bangladesh Bank holds foreign currency reserves of 27 billion US dollars. According to the Governor of Bangladesh Bank, Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, this reserve is expected to increase to 30 billion dollars by next month, i.e., June. He mentioned that there is a long-term plan to raise the reserve to 40 billion dollars, but reaching that target will take time.

He said, “Along with increasing reserves, we must also strengthen the banking sector to ensure maximum service for the people.”

The Governor made these remarks on Wednesday (21 May) at the Amari Hotel in Gulshan of Dhaka, during a research findings presentation event organized by the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI). The event was held with the support of Bangladesh Bank and the International Growth Centre (IGC). The title of the research was “Geographical and Historical Trends of Financial Development in Bangladesh.”

Bangladesh Bank's Deputy Governor Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman was present as a special guest. He said, “The research has identified some regions of the country where access to financial services is still limited. Our responsibility is to bring these areas under financial inclusion.”

The event was chaired by PRI Chairman Dr. Zaidi Sattar. He said, “This research highlights a geographical and time-based analysis of the banking sector, which reveals a clear picture of financial inequality in the country.”

The main research findings were presented by PRI’s Chief Economist Dr. Ashikur Rahman. He shared, “Nationally, just 1% of loan recipients receive 75% of total bank loans. Moreover, 78% of these loans are concentrated in Dhaka and Chattogram.”

He further added, “Private banks are mainly concentrated in the wealthy eastern region of the country. Despite years of bank branch expansion, they have failed to reach the poorer areas. The reality is, private banks are not providing banking services to the poor.”

Panel discussants included Dr. Nasiruddin Ahmed, Senior Advisor of IGC Bangladesh, and Md. Anisur Rahman, Executive Director (Statistics) of Bangladesh Bank. They emphasized the need for reforms in the regulatory framework of the banking sector and improvements in data collection systems.

According to analysts, this research has brought to light the regional disparities and challenges of inclusive development in the country’s financial sector in a new way.