Written by Takie Mohammad Jubayer
In a latest intervention, Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Thursday purchased $45 million more from the commercial banks in a bid to stabilise the country’s foreign exchange (forex) market.
With the latest deals, the central has so far been bought $539 million from the commercial banks since July 13 last under the prevailing free-floating exchange rate regime.
According to the BB sources, the banking regulator took the decision to make fresh intervention as exchange rate in interbank spot market continues to fall. With the latest bidding, the BB injected around Tk 5.50 billion to the five commercial banks against buying of $45 million.
The cut-off rate for the latest transaction was Tk 121.50 per dollar, down by 45 per cent from previous intervention recorded on July 24, 2025.
Over the past four weeks, the central bank has bought a total of $539 million through four separate auctions. These purchases are intended to bolster the country’s foreign exchange reserves, which have come under pressure amid rising import payments and global economic headwinds.
The BB launched this intervention drive on July 13 in a bid to curb volatility in the dollar-taka exchange rate and ensure greater stability in the forex market.
“We’re intervening in the market whenever necessary to keep the exchange rate at a tolerable level.”
He added that the central bank may also sell US dollars to banks via similar mechanisms if the dollar continues to appreciate against the local currency.
The central banker said the intervention normally comes to prevent the downfall of Bangladeshi Taka-US-Dollar exchange rate and to bolster the foreign currency reserve in line with the prescription of IMF (international monetary fund) under its $5.50 billion lending package to stbailise the country’s macroeconomic situation.
Since the intervention began on July 13, the local currency has lost Tk 0.85 against the US dollar. On the first day of intervention, the reference rate stood at Tk 120.67 per dollar. Now, the rate stood at 121.52 a US dollar after ending the business hours of Thursday.
