Per capita external debt stands at $292

Bangladesh's per capita external debt now stands at $292.11 (equivalent to Tk24,890), Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said.

The current foreign debt amounts to $49.46 billion, he said in parliament on Wednesday.

Loans agreed upon with various development partner countries and institutions until 30 June surpassed $95.9 billion, of which $59.5 billion have been disbursed, the minister added.

Bangladesh's outstanding external debt as percentage of GDP was 15.49% in FY 2020, up from 14.71% in FY 2019, according to a report of the Economic Relations Division (ERD).

Comparing the total outstanding debt with the Gross Domestic Product and the ratio of debt servicing with exports of goods and services and revenue earning, the ERD said external debt sustainability had improved. 

All the indicators are below the threshold level, and Bangladesh is categorized as "less indebted" country according to the World Bank. 

The per capita foreign debt in Bangladesh is not alarming considering the numerical analysis, but the poor debt management poses risks, said Dr Zahid Hussain, former lead economist of the World Bank, Dhaka.

A county faces risks when it fails to repay loans, but Bangladesh will be out of such risks in near future considering debt, reserve, export, import and inward remittances. 

The WB and the International Monetary Fund compiles the risk factors of each country every year, and Bangladesh secured a place in the lower risk category in the latest assessment, even amid the Covid pandemic, Zahid said.

Expressing concerns over the debt management by the government, he said debts would become an additional burden if loans could not be converted into investments. If the government fails to build infrastructure and assets utilizing loans to generate further resources, loan repayment would be worrisome. 

Bangladesh received about $6.78 billion in foreign loans in FY2021 and repaid $1.9 billion, including interest.