Bangladesh closed its financial year 2021-22 with an $18.7 billion current account deficit, the highest on record, as export earnings failed to narrow the gap with skyrocketing imports, Bangladesh Bank data released yesterday showed.

Profits of listed fuel and power generation companies altogether dropped in the January-March period of the current financial year of 2021-22 due to some power plants shutting down, an increase in the price of raw materials and a decrease in investment income.