Which division saw the highest inflow of remittances?

Remittance is one of the main pillars of Bangladesh's economy with the country's migrant workers having sent $16 billion back home in the first nine months of the current fiscal year 2022-23.

But any guess which division saw the highest inflow of remittance?

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It was Dhaka, the country's main economic centre.

The division received $7.6 billion, or 48 per cent, of the total remittances sent by Bangladeshi migrant workers living abroad in first three quarters of the ongoing fiscal year, data by Bangladesh Bank showed.

Chattogram, a southeast division having the country's largest seaport, received $4.3 billion during the period. The amount was 27 per cent of the total remittance at the time, according to central bank data.

And Sylhet, which has a good number of citizens living in the United Kingdom, is the third biggest destination for remittance sent by Bangladeshi migrants abroad.

The northeast division got 11 per cent, or $1.79 billion, of the total remittance in the July-March period of the fiscal year.

The remaining five divisions -- Barishal, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshashi and Rangpur -- accounted for 14 per cent of the total remittances.

Barishal, Rangpur and Mymensingh had 2 per cent of the total remittances each while Khulna and Rajshahi had 4 per cent each.

And the share of remittance recipient districts has been remaining almost the same for the last couple of years.

In fiscal year 2021-22, the share of remittances coming to Dhaka was 47 per cent of the total inflow followed by Chattogram at 26 per cent, as per Bangladesh Bank data.

Mohammed Monirul Moula, managing director and CEO of Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd (IBBL), said citizens of Dhaka and Chattogram who stay abroad are mainly engaged in businesses.

"So, the ticket size of remittances they send home is usually higher. You will find many citizens of Chattogram having businesses in Mecca and Medina," he added.

"A higher number of migrant workers have gone abroad for jobs from the Cumilla and Noakhali regions but the ticket size of the money they send is not that high," said Moula of IBBL, which transferred more than one-fourth of total remittances in the October-December period of 2022.

Md Murshedul Kabir, managing director and CEO of state-run Agrani Bank Ltd, said a good number of migrants from Dhaka and Chattogram stay abroad.

Agrani Bank handles the largest amount of remittance among state-owned banks.

"We have contracts with more than 100 money transfer firms abroad and have a good distribution channel inside the country because of our branches and agent banking network," he added.