Bangladeshis spend Tk443cr abroad in August amid easing dollar crisis

Business Report :

Bangladeshis spent over Tk443 crore abroad using credit cards in August 2025, marking a 19 percent increase compared to the same month last year, according to the latest Bangladesh Bank data.

In August 2024, the figure was Tk372 crore. However, the month-on-month data shows a slight decline spending dropped 7.5 percent from Tk479 crore recorded in July 2025.

Bank officials say the rise in overseas card spending reflects an improving economic and political environment.

“The political unrest following the power transition in August 2024 had temporarily reduced foreign travel by Bangladeshis,” said the head of cards at a private commercial bank.

“Now, with political stability and an easier dollar situation, overseas spending is picking up again.”

He added that the foreign currency supply has improved significantly. “There is no dollar shortage now.

Banks have enough foreign currency available unlike in 2024, when getting cash or card-based dollars was very difficult,” he said.

Where Bangladeshis Spend the Most Data shows that most foreign card transactions were made in the United States, followed by Thailand, the United Kingdom, Singapore, India, Malaysia, and Canada.

In terms of card type, VISA dominated overseas use with 74.64 percent of all transactions, followed by MasterCard (15.03percent) and American Express (10.26 percent).

Credit Card Use on the Rise Credit card ownership in Bangladesh has surged in recent years. As of August 2025, more than 3 million credit cards were in use a 64 percent increase from 1.8 million cards in December 2021, according to central bank data.

A Bangladesh Bank official reminded that citizens are allowed to spend up to $12,000 per year abroad, either through cards or cash.