Bangladesh Bank Extends Import Payment Deadline, Provides Relief to Industrial and Agricultural Sectors

To ensure smooth supply of goods and facilitate the import of raw materials for the industrial and agricultural sectors, the central bank has extended the payment deadline for imports. On Monday (August 18), Bangladesh Bank’s Foreign Exchange and Policy Department (FEPD) issued a notification regarding this.

The notification stated that for back-to-back imports, agricultural inputs, and chemical fertilizers, as well as industrial raw materials imported using supplier or buyer credits, the previous rule required payment within 180 days. The central bank has now extended this period to 360 days. This facility will be applicable until December 31 of this year.

This measure will allow importers to delay payments amid the ongoing dollar shortage, easing the financial pressure on business operations. However, the facility will not apply to goods imported under Export Development Fund (EDF) loans.

Bangladesh Bank has sent this directive to all chief executives of licensed foreign exchange dealers in the country, enabling businesses to import raw materials and agricultural inputs according to long-term planning more easily.