Bangladeshi businesses and entrepreneurs have imported goods worth $7.07 billion in April, marking a 21.4 per cent rise year-on-year and the highest monthly total in three and a half years, reports bdnews24.com.
Economists, bankers, and business leaders view the rise in imports following the formation of the new 
government as a positive sign for the economy.
They say political stability has begun to return after the election, restoring the confidence of businesses and entrepreneurs.
As a result, imports of capital machinery and other goods have started to increase.
An analysis of Bangladesh Bank data shows that imports reached $7.59 billion in November 2022. Since then, no month had recorded imports exceeding $7 billion.
Except for a few months, monthly import spending mostly remained between $5 billion and $6 billion.
Imports amounted to $5.83 billion in March, but jumped sharply to more than $7 billion in April.
During the first 10 months of fiscal year 2025-26 (July-April), Bangladesh imported goods worth $61.62 billion, which was 5.92 per cent higher than in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.
Bangladesh Bank data show that imports of capital machinery, one of the key drivers of investment growth, increased by 12.5 per cent during the July-April period.
Imports of capital machinery totaled $2.69 billion during these ten months, compared with $2.39 billion during the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Imports of intermediate goods for industry increased by 8.23 per cent, reaching $54.50 billion, compared with $50.35 billion in the same period a year earlier.
Intermediate goods are raw materials or components that are processed further to produce finished products.
These goods play a vital role in production and exports across various sectors in Bangladesh, including plastics, ready-made garments, jute, and light engineering.
During the 10-month period, spending on fuel oil imports rose by 72 per cent, reaching $7.64 billion.
However, imports of goods required by the country's main export sector-the ready-made garment industry-declined by 7.2 per cent.
Spending in this sector totaled $14.56 billion during the July-April period, compared with $15.70 billion in the same period of FY2025.
To curb import expenditures amid a dollar shortage, the ousted government of Sheikh Hasina had taken various measures, which helped reduce import spending significantly.
The subsequent interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has largely followed the same approach.
After the fall of Hasina's government in August 2024 amid a student-led mass uprising, economic instability and uncertainty persisted during the interim administration.
However, according to former World Bank Dhaka office chief economist Zahid Hussain, conditions have started to improve since the February election.
He told bdnews24.com: "Because of instability and uncertainty, many investors had been holding back and waiting for a favorable environment. Now that such an environment is emerging, they are making new investment plans and taking initiatives to establish and expand industries."
He believes this is why imports of capital machinery, industrial raw materials, and other goods have begun to rise.
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