Bangladesh Boasts $6.6 Billion BoP Surplus in FY26: Financial Account Inflows Offset Trade Deficit

Dhaka, August 9, 2026 — Bangladesh posted a record balance-of-payments surplus worth $6.6 billion in FY2025-26 — nearly 95 percent higher than the previous fiscal year — as stronger financial-account inflows helped offset a widening current-account deficit, according to the latest central bank data.

📊 The Economic Scorecard for FY26

• 📈 Overall BoP surplus: $6.6 billion (up ~95% from $3.39B in FY25)
• 📉 Current account deficit: $1.59 billion (up from $138M in FY25)
• 📈 Financial account surplus: $7.89 billion (vs deficit of $3.59B in FY25)
• 📉 Trade deficit: $27.29 billion (imports $71.14B vs exports $43.86B)
• 📈 Petroleum import payments: +107% (driven by Middle East crisis)
• 📈 Capital machinery imports: +14% (post-election investment recovery)

💰 Financial Account: The Star Performer

Economists attribute the overall surplus largely to a sharp increase in the financial account, which rose to $7.89 billion during the year — supported mainly by the "other investment" category (loans from multilateral and international institutions) and trade credit (short-term cross-border financing). The financial account's swing from a $3.59 billion deficit to a $7.89 billion surplus represents an $11.5 billion improvement in a single fiscal year.

🛢️ Petroleum Imports Surge 107%

The sharp rise in import costs was partly driven by higher global energy prices amid the Middle East crisis. Payments for petroleum products surged by 107 percent during the period. Capital-machinery imports also picked up, rising by nearly 14 percent as business activity and investment sentiment improved following the February general election.

💬 Expert Assessment

"I think the BoP remained in the comfort zone despite the widening current-account deficit," said Dr Md Ezazul Islam, director-general of the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) and former executive director of Bangladesh Bank's research department. He said the current-account deficit was not an immediate concern because exports started recovering, and the central bank's exchange-rate policy had helped make the local currency more attractive and supported remittance inflows.

However, another economist (requesting anonymity) noted that the improvement was partly driven by increased external borrowing — which strengthens the external position in the short term but creates future repayment obligations. The changing composition of Bangladesh's external balance — trade under pressure, financial inflows providing offset — represents a structural shift that policymakers will need to monitor carefully.