Dhaka, Feb. 25 -- Bangladesh Bank's foreign exchange reserves stood at more than $30 billion on the day Ahsan H Mansur was removed from office as governor.

The reserves rose notably in recent months as remittances from expatriate Bangladeshis increased while import payments and other external expenses declined, boosting the stock of foreign currency held by the central bank.

Moreover, no excess demand for foreign currency has emerged in the market, allowing Bangladesh Bank to purchase dollars from commercial banks at regular intervals.

Authorised dealer banks are also holding surplus dollar stocks beyond their immediate requirements.

As a result of these factors, remittances have been on an upward trend for several months.

At the clo...