Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur on Wednesday said the foreign exchange reserves are expected to reach between $27 and $30 billion by next month while the long-term goal is set to increase this to $40 billion.
Dr. Mansur emphasized that, “A resilient banking system is essential to delivering quality services to all citizens, regardless of location,”.
Governor was addressing a dissemination event on “Spatial and Historical Financial Development in Bangladesh”, organized by the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI), in collaboration with Bangladesh Bank and supported by the International Growth Centre (IGC) in Dhaka.
Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank, joined as the Special Guest at this event. He praised the collaboration:“This study sheds light on areas where financial services remain uneven. We must now act to ensure that no district or community is left behind.”
The event was chaired by Dr.Zaidi Sattar, Chairman of PRI, who emphasised the study’s national significance, “This research offers the first spatially disaggregated, longitudinal view of banking development in Bangladesh, revealing the invisible gaps that national averages often hide. Financial development must be inclusive, and for that, we must understand where the underserved truly are.”
Dr. Ashikur Rahman, Principal Economist at PRI, delivered the key presentation highlighting that, “Our analysis highlights a stark inequality in financial access—1% of loan account holders receive 75% of all loans nationally, and 78% of lending is concentrated in Dhaka and Chittagong”.
He said despite decades of bank expansion, private banks remain heavily clustered in the affluent eastern belt, suggesting they are not reaching out and perhaps not serving the poorer regions of the country.
A distinguished panel followed, including Dr. Nasiruddin Ahmed, Senior Advisor to IGC Bangladesh, and Md. Anis Ur Rahman, Executive Director (Statistics), Bangladesh Bank, emphasised the importance of refining regulatory tools and improving data collection practices.
