Written by The Banking Post
Bangladesh Bank has granted Type B and Type C industrial enterprises in specialized economic zones – including EPZs, PEPZs, EZs, and Hi-Tech Parks – greater flexibility in retaining repatriated export proceeds in foreign currency (FC).
In a circular issued on August 10, 2025, the central bank aligned retention rules for enterprises between specialized zones and non-specialized zone exporters. Under the revised policy, banks can allow zone enterprises to keep export proceeds in a back-to-back settlement pool in FC until back-to-back import payments are made.
The retained amount can include both the back-to-back import settlement portion and the local value-added portion. The value added portion can be held for up to 30 days to meet admissible FC obligations. Within this period, unutilized funds can be transferred to other banks to settle import liabilities of exporters or their subsidiaries/sister concerns in specialized zones.
After 30 days, any unused funds will be encashed into Taka, with at least 20% (25% for the garments sector) of total repatriation converted before crediting remaining balances to exporters’ FC accounts.
For exporters operating without back-to-back arrangements, export proceeds can also be retained in FC for up to 30 days for permissible uses, including transfers to other banks for settling import payments of exporters’ subsidiaries/sister concerns operating in specialized zones. Any remaining balance after this period can be transferred to exporters’ FC accounts, subject to the same encashment requirement as applicable for back-to-back arrangement.
Business insiders say the move will ensure regulatory parity between specialized and non-specialized zones, improve operational efficiency, and bolster foreign currency liquidity management.
