A 'not-so-satisfactory' scenario unfolds before the government with the economy in focus, specially its projected growth, and the shrinking inflow of remittances.
The Finance Division drew the picture of the economy in its half-yearly report to be placed before the national parliament this month.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith will place the report in the Jatiya Sangsad sometime in March, sources said.
The division is placing a half-yearly report for the first time instead of the quarterly one.
Sources at the finance division told the FE that they had prepared the report taking data on different key economic indicators from Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and Economic Relations Division.
They said sectors like service, construction and manufacturing had been adversely affected during the restive political situation in 2013.
They, however, did not disclose the exact figure which they had put in the report.
"Wait for some more days, you will get the whole report," said a senior official at the finance division.
"We've finalised it and it is now being printed," he added.
The Finance Minister in February told the media that the gross domestic product (GDP) might fall by 1.0 per cent this fiscal.
The government estimated the economic growth at 7.2 per cent for 2013-14 fiscal year.
AMA Muhith said in February the growth projection was 'ambitious'.
A senior official at the finance division said the government was seriously concerned over the rapid fall in remittance earnings.
"We've already downsized our remittance growth projection for 2013-14 by 11 per cent for the fiscal year," he said.
He said the government was now eying only 1.0 per cent growth in place of 12 per cent.
"In my view this 1.0 per cent will not be achieved as we've already seen negative growth," he said.
The remittance inflow showed the downtrend in February last as it stood at $1164.03 million. The amount is almost the same as that in February, 2013, Bangladesh Bank (BB) data released Monday showed.
The static position has been attributed to the stronger local currency against the US dollar.
The remittance inflow in the past eight months of the current 2013-14 financial year was $9,196.99 million, slightly lower than $9,892.80 million received in the same period of the previous 2012-13 fiscal year, according to BB. The finance division officials said the import was growing following the return of normalcy in the political arena.
They said if the import volume keeps peaking up, it will affect the balance of payment.
Bangladesh had faced negative growth in remittance inflow during 2000-2001, at a time when the main remittance earning nations also faced the same fate.
The report also highlights slow revenue growth and rising inflation.
It expressed satisfaction about the export receipts and government borrowings from the banks, treasury bonds and savings certificates as they remain at the government's targeted level.
