Bangladesh's migrant workers sent home Tk 1,101.8 crore in remittances through mobile financial service (MFS) providers in August, marking the highest monthly receipts through digital channels in the past five years.

This figure represents a remarkable 113 percent year-on-year increase from the Tk 515.4 crore that was sent home through MFS providers in August 2023, offering a glimmer of hope for bolstering the country's dwindling foreign exchange reserves.

Bangladesh currently has around $20 billion in its foreign exchange reserves, far lower than the record $40.7 billion it boasted in August 2021.

Industry people said remittance transactions through MFS were higher in August as there were banking disruptions and limited cash supplies to ATMs following the political changeover in that month.

Besides, they credited the increasing use of technology, a 2.5 percent government incentive on remittance through formal channels, as well as various cash benefits offered by the MFS providers for the remittance surge.

Currently, at least 13 MFS platforms, including bKash, Nagad and Rocket, operate in Bangladesh.

MFS providers facilitated 54.21 percent more remittances in August compared to the month prior, according to data from the Bangladesh Bank.

In July, expatriate workers had sent home Tk 7,144 crore through MFS channels.

An analysis of central bank data reveals that August's remittance inflow through MFS channels was the highest since December 2018.

The increase follows the recent political changeover on August 5, when former prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country amid a mass uprising.

With MFS channels contributing significantly, total remittances surged nearly 39 percent to $2.2 billion year-on-year in August.

According to the latest data from the Bangladesh Bank, overall remittance receipts continued to rise in September, jumping 80.28 percent year-on-year to $2.40 billion.

Moreover, September's receipts were 8.12 percent higher than the previous month's.

Apart from ease of access and cash benefits, various policies from the central bank and continuous efforts of MFS providers encouraged migrant workers to use the formal channel, industry insiders said.

At the end of last year, the Bangladesh Bank doubled the maximum single-transaction limit for sending remittances to individual MFS accounts from Tk 1.25 lakh to Tk 2.5 lakh.

Ali Ahmed, chief commercial officer of bKash, said the central bank had recognised the critical role of remittance inflows in bolstering the country's economy.

Through concerted efforts and technological and distributional support of MFS providers, they have successfully channelled remittances through digital channels, he said.

Over the years, bKash has built a robust partnership ecosystem for remittances whereby seamless cross-border fund transfers can be initiated from more than 130 countries through Money Transfer Operators (MTOs) and leading commercial banks, Ahmed said.

He added that remittances received through bKash could be accessed anytime, anywhere.

Families of the expatriates can utilise remittance to take various services through their bKash accounts, including paying for goods and services, utility bills, and educational and government fees. They can also send money, donations and many other services from the comfort of their homes, he said.

In addition to offering convenient, instant, and secure remittance transfers, bKash has lowered cash-out fees, he added.

Beneficiaries can now withdraw remittances at a minimal cost of Tk 7 per thousand from approximately 2,500 ATMs of 19 leading commercial banks, Ahmed said.

"Furthermore, bKash has collaborated with various organisations and launched regular campaigns with attractive offers to encourage the use of legal remittance channels among expatriates and raise awareness. These efforts have contributed significantly to the growth of remittance inflows in Bangladesh."

Muhammad Zahidul Islam, head of media and communications at Nagad, said they had witnessed significant remittance earnings in August.

"With the natural growth, we from Nagad have also given tremendous effort to bring more remittances, such as by onboarding world-class foreign partners. Currently, people from more than 200 countries can send remittances through Nagad to Bangladesh," he said.

He said Nagad has already started a Tk 100 cashback campaign on top of the 2.5 percent government incentive to further boost inward remittance, adding that it had garnered a huge response from non-resident Bangladeshis.

"We have observed that these efforts have regained respect for us and the number of transactions has grown rapidly over time."

Through such measures, top MFS providers like Nagad are playing a vital role in strengthening and elevating the country's foreign exchange reserves, he added.