Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)– The central bank sold US$ 13 million more at market rate to three commercial banks directly on Monday to meet the growing demand for the greenback.
“We’ve provided the foreign currency support to the banks to settle outstanding letters of credit (LCs) against imports of fuel oils and fertilizers,” a senior official of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) told BBN, adding that such operation will continue in conformity with the need of the market.
The country’s foreign exchange reserve stood at around $9.50 on the day after the sale of $13 million by the central bank to the banks, the central banker added.
The central bank has so far pumped in $336 million directly to the commercial banks to meet their increasing demand for the greenback in the current fiscal year, the BB data showed.
Besides, the central bank provided overdraft (OD) facilities worth $22 million to two state-owned commercial banks (SCBs)— Sonali and Agrani –on the same day on the same ground, the BB official said, adding that the amount of outstanding OD facilities stood at $391 million.
On November 15 last, the BB sold US$ 50 million to the two SCBs to settle outstanding letters of credit (LCs) against imports of petroleum products.
BBN/SSR/SI-22Nov11-12:40 pm (BST)
