Per Capita Debt $365: Finance Minister

Bangladesh's per capita debt at present is about $365, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told the parliament on Tuesday (October 31). The minister came up with the statistics in reply to a query from ruling Awami League MP Haji Selim.

Bangladesh's total population is 170.79 million, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, meaning the current per capita debt is $364.85.

As of June, Bangladesh's foreign debt stands at $62.3 billion, he said in a scripted answer. Of the sum, $36.8 billion is multilateral loans and $25.5 billion is bilateral. The World Bank has given the most loans to Bangladesh: $19.5 billion.

As of October 12, Bangladesh's gross reserves are $21.1 billion, as per the IMF's BPM6 method, Kamal said in response to a query from AL MP Kazim Uddin Ahmed from Mymensingh-11.

However, as per the latest published data by the Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh's gross reserves stood at $20.9 billion on October 25.

Reserves have depleted due to a hike in the prices of various products including fuel in the international market, an increase in import costs and a decrease in remittance inflows, Kamal said.

"But there is no shortage of reserve in the country."

In response to the question from Jatiya Party MP Syed Abu Hussain, Kamal said the Ukraine war and war-related sanctions have resulted in increased inflation, depleted foreign exchange reserves and some pressure on the exchange rate.

The government has taken various steps to bring down inflation and replenish reserves.

In response to a question from the Jatiya Party MP Mashiur Rahman Ranga, Kamal said the airport customs authorities have seized 1,408 kilograms of gold from passengers in the last five years.

The estimated value of the confiscated gold is Tk 1,226 crore.

Of the recovered gold, 1,272.1 kg has been deposited in the central bank's coffer.

While replying to a query from AL MP Nurunnabi Chowdhury from Bhola-3, Kamal said the number of tax identification number holders in the country is 93.46 lakh as of September.

As per the Income Tax Act 2023, spot tax assessment has been abolished.

In response to a question from AL MP Mahfuzur Rahman from Chattogram-3, Kamal said the total number of individual taxpayers in the country is 89.53 lakh as of June.