REFAYET ULLAH MIRDHA

Earnings from merchandise shipments continued to soar in February, registering growth of 34.54 per cent year-on-year to reach $4.29 billion on the back of increased garment exports.

February’s earnings were the highest in the same month of the past 10 years.

The February receipts are also 18.80 per cent higher than the target of $3.61 billion. In February last year, Bangladesh recorded merchandise shipments amounting to $3.19 billion, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau.

In January this year, earnings from merchandise shipments stood at $4.85 billion, the second-highest single-month receipts. In December, exporters raked in $4.9 billion, an all-time high for single-month earnings.

Meanwhile, the takings were $4.16 billion in September, $4.72 billion in October, and $4.04 billion in November.

Workers at a garment factory are seen busy as the industry has witnessed a rise in work orders in recent months. Garment exports grew 30.73 per cent to $27.49 billion in the July-February period of the ongoing fiscal year. The picture was taken recently.