Bangladesh Bank is moving to boost foreign exchange reserves to $40 billion by June to stabilize the taka.
Governor Ahsan H. Mansur said the central bank has already purchased over $1 billion without disrupting the market. Reserves currently stand at $31.4 billion, covering five months of imports, but the goal is six.
Mansur, a former IMF economist who took office in 2024, said reforms such as bank consolidation and stricter oversight of finance firms will follow. Rising remittances, curbs on hundi transfers, lower import over-invoicing, and 9% export growth have strengthened reserves.
Hundi system is an informal method of transferring money that operates outside the formal banking system.
The bank also cleared $4 billion in arrears to suppliers, restoring trust abroad. Mansur said the February 2026 elections will provide the clarity needed to accelerate reforms.