For more than half a century, the dollar has defied the doom-mongers. And the most likely prospect is that it will continue to do so

The country’s foreign exchange market is stabilising thanks to a surge in US dollar (USD) inflows, driven by higher remittances, stronger export earnings and tighter oversight by the central bank.

"There is no chance that the BRICS will replace the US Dollar in International Trade, and any Country that tries should wave goodbye to America"

The dollar jumped to a seven-week high on Friday and was on track to post its best week since September 2022 after a surprisingly strong jobs report for September led traders to cut bets that the Federal Reserve will make further 50-basis-point rate cuts.

The chief executives of at least three private commercial banks told The Daily Star that the BB had verbally allowed them to quote Tk 1 more than the exchange rate to collect US dollars amid the ongoing forex crunch.

Capital machinery imports are recovering slowly as concerns over political uncertainty ease and banks show more willingness to facilitate investments amidst increased liquidity in terms of US dollars and stability in the exchange rate. During the July-January period of this fiscal year (FY), LC openings for capital machinery grew three percent year-on-year to $1,557 million, according to Bangladesh Bank data.

This is nothing more than a poor trick that will eventually produce no real gain.

They sent separate letters to the central bank

The dollar’s uncontested reign is coming to an end, with far-reaching global economic consequences.

The Bangladesh Bank has projected that loan repayments against mid- and long-term foreign credits secured by the private sector might fall by 42.6 per cent in 2023, but the development might not bring about major relief for an economy reeling under the forex crisis.

The US dollar sold by the central bank has surpassed the $12-billion mark in the ongoing fiscal year as it has had to pump the American greenbacks into the market in order to clear import bills. 

The taka has lost its value further against the US dollar after the Bangladesh Bank sold the greenback at Tk 104.5 as the foreign exchange reserves keep falling.

The business sector in Bangladesh has been going through severe challenges for the past four years, which, for many, have been the toughest period in decades, with the coronavirus pandemic being the dominant factor in the early part before the Russia-Ukraine war broke out. Today, we are running the last report of a series and it focuses on the lessons for the businesses from the two unprecedented shocks.

Crop protection chemical sellers in Bangladesh are facing difficulty in opening letters of credit amid banks’ lack of interest owing to the crunch of the US dollar.

Bangladesh Bank has sold US dollar at Tk 101 each to banks for the first time, giving indication that it is likely to devalue the local currency to reflect the market reality.

As the US dollar shortage persists, businesses in Bangladesh are increasingly finding it difficult to open letters of credit (LCs) since banks can’t supply the adequate American greenback needed to finance imports.

The government should restore discipline in the banking sector as some banks made abnormal profits by selling US dollars cashing in on the exchange rate volatility, FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin said today.

Oil prices settled up on Friday as hopes of stronger Chinese demand and a weakening US dollar outweighed concern about a global economic downturn and the impact of interest rate rises on fuel use.

The government’s foreign debt repayment has become costlier owing to the sharp depreciation of the taka against the US dollar in recent months.

The US dollar is on a tear, strengthening around 11 per cent since the start of the year and – for the first time in two decades – reaching parity with the Euro.