Expatriate Bangla-deshis sent US $9,461.15 million remittance in the first eight months of the current fiscal 2017-18, which is 16.56 per cent higher than the amount received in the corresponding period of the preceding fiscal, reports BSS.

According to Bangladesh Bank (BB), the country received $8,117.07 million remittance during July-February period of 2016-17 financial year.

"The flow of remittances into the country rebounded in the current fiscal 2017-18 as BB took some measures to streamline the legal channel for encouraging the Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) to send home

money," BB Deputy Governor Abu Hena Mohammad Razee Hassan told the news agency yesterday.

He said the recent flow of remittance indicates that it is gradually increasing and this trend is likely to continue in the upcoming months.

According to the BB data, the country received $1,149 million in February, $1,379.79 million in January, $1,163.82 million in December, $1,214.75 million in November, $1162.77 million in October, $856.87 million in September, $1,418.58 million in August and $1,115.57 million in July in 2017-18 fiscal.

But in 2016-17, the country received $940.75 million in February, 1,009.47 million in January, $958.73 million in December, $951.37 million in November, $1,010.99 million in October, $1,056.64 million in September, $1,183.61 million in August and $1,005.51 million in July.

In February this year, six state-owned commercial banks - Agrani, Janata, Rupali, Sonali, Basic and BDBL-- received $284.85 million while one state-owned specialised bank, Bangladesh Krishi Bank, received $10.96 million.

Of the state-owned banks, Agrani Bank received $115.51 million, Janata Bank $67.91 million, Rupali Bank $13.47 million, Sonali Bank $87.83 million and Basic Bank $0.13 million.

Besides, the expatriates sent $840.59 million through private commercial banks and $12.60 million through foreign commercial banks in February this year.

Among the private commercial banks, Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL), received the highest amount of $229.95 million followed by Dutch-Bangla Bank (DBBL) which received $59.56 million.

Mutual Trust Bank Limited (MTBL) Managing Director Anis A Khan said the inflow of remittance is increasing day by day as the authorities concerned, including banks, are accelerating their activities to bring back the remittances through the legal channel.

"We are trying to make easier the process of legal channels to expedite the remittance flow. We are signing agreements with different exchange houses to bring the remittances in automated ways," he added.

Recently, Malaysia-based Valyou, in partnership with MTBL, has introduced wallet-to-wallet remittance from Malaysia to Bangladesh.

This first-of-its-kind integration enables migrant workers in Malaysia to transfer money directly to any bKash account in Bangladesh using Valyou Mobile Wallet App.

"Working together with MTB, we are able to offer instant money transfers to bKash from Valyou Mobile Wallet App. As a result, it will cost our Bangladeshi customers less time, money and efforts to send money to their families back home," according to Valyou CEO, Khuram Malik.