The country received a record $8.42 billion as foreign aid in 11 months of the current fiscal year 2021-22, 47% higher year-on-year over the previous fiscal year, despite global currency crunch.
Officials unveiled the eleven-month figure on Thursday, when they also announced that the country's foreign development partners had disbursed $5.72 billion worth of medium-to-long-term (MLT) assistance during July-May period.
The development financiers released the highest amount of concessional loans and grants during the period as three major ones-the Asian development Bank (ADB), Japan and the World Bank (WB)-released a significant amount, Economic Relations Division (ERD) officials said.
Out of the $8.42 billion aid netted during the July-May period of this FY, ADB alone released $2.08 billion, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) $1.78 billion and the WB $1.54 billion.
Besides, Russia disbursed $1.15 billion in assistance and China $797 million during the 11 months to May 2022.
The financiers also confirmed a significant amount of MLT loans and grants during the period by signing deals worth $5.91 billion in assistance.
In 12 months of the last FY21, the partners had released $7.96 billion, $7.38 billion in FY20 and $6.54 billion in FY19, ERD data also showed.
The aid disbursement may touch the $10-billion mark at the end this fiscal year as there is a possibility of higher amounts to be released in the last month of the fiscal year, June, said a senior ERD official.
According to the ERD official, the government had received $1.13 billion as budgetary support till May.
The development partners disbursed $8.22 billion worth of loans and $188.54 million as grants during the July-May period out of the total $8.42 billion disbursed amount, ERD data also showed.
Out of the $5.91 billion worth of aid commitments, the development partners confirmed $5.71 billion in concessional loans and $195.40 million in grants during the 11 months.
Bangladesh's debt servicing had also swelled during the Jul-May period as the country spent $1.88 billion in loan repayments-amid much discussion over the country's foreign-exchange reserves, rising debt-servicing liabilities and current-account deficit with outgoings outstripping incomes.
Out of the debt-servicing amount, $1.42 billion was paid as principal amount and $468.36 million as interest on the outstanding loans till May.
