The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) is taking longer than usual to release June export data, after the central bank’s large revision to foreign sales estimates. According to the Bangladesh Bank, real exports in the July-April period of the fiscal year 2023-24 were about US $ 14 billion lower than previously reported by the EPB, indicating one of the most significant disparities in the financial sector in recent years.
The EPB, a division of the Trade Ministry, usually discloses export data for the previous month within the first three days of the current month. However, the release has been postponed this month due to the publication of the central bank’s updated figures, which rectify the gap between actual receipts and EPB data.
The anomalies included serial duplication mistakes, fabric value miscalculations, and several miscounts of sample items as exports. For example, in garment orders under the cutting, making, and trimming procedure, the EPB mistakenly included fabric and accessory fees in addition to the making charge. Furthermore, sales by enterprises in export processing zones were tallied twice.
This disparity has existed for at least 12 years, topping US $ 12 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23.
In response, State Minister for Commerce, Ahasanul Islam Titu, declared that the commerce ministry would launch a new project allowing the EPB to calculate export data independently.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
