In a significant financial outflow, foreign nationals residing in Bangladesh have repatriated a total of 130.58 million US dollars (USD) to their home countries from July last year to April this year.

This figure highlights the extent of earnings by expatriates working in various sectors within the country.

The largest share of this repatriation, amounting to 50.60 million USD, was taken by Indian nationals, according to Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali.

The information was disclosed in response to a question posed by independent Member of Parliament A. K. Azad during Monday afternoon’s parliamentary session.

The session, presided over by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, began with a question-and-answer segment where this data was presented.

Despite the notable outflow, the Finance Minister clarified that the Bangladesh Bank does not keep annual earnings-related data for foreign nationals residing in the country. However, the disclosed figures provide insight into the financial movements over the past ten months.

Breaking down the repatriation amounts, the data reveals that Chinese nationals sent home 14.56 million USD, Sri Lankans 12.71 million USD, Japanese 6.89 million USD, Koreans 6.21 million USD, and Thai nationals 5.30 million USD.

Additionally, UK nationals repatriated 3.59 million USD, Pakistanis 3.24 million USD, US nationals 3.17 million USD, Malaysian nationals 2.40 million USD, and nationals from various other countries cumulatively sent home 21.92 million USD.

With the current exchange rate at 117 Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) per 1 USD, and 1 million BDT equating to 10 lakh BDT, the economic impact of these remittances is substantial.

The repatriation of earnings by expatriates is a common practice, reflecting the global mobility of skilled labor and the interconnectedness of economies.

The Finance Minister’s disclosure underscores the significant contribution of foreign nationals to Bangladesh’s economy, while also highlighting the financial implications of their remittances on the national economy.