Dhaka, Aug. 23 -- Bangladesh is among the world's leading recipients of remittances, expected to receive more than $30 billion by 2025.
These inflows are crucial for both household consumption and foreign reserve stability.
However, economists argue that the persistence of restrictive outbound controls is inadvertently undermining formal inflows. Hundi operators routinely "net off" outward and inward transfers, reducing the amount of money that passes through banking channels.
Demand for outbound transfers has been rising sharply across multiple sectors. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) engaged in import trade often require direct payments to suppliers in China, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Imports in FY2024-25 totalled$64.4 billion, with...