Dhaka, Jan. 29 -- Bangladesh's foreign loan and grant disbursements fell by 29 percent year-on-year in the first six months of the 2025-26 fiscal year, even as the government stepped up repayments to development partners.

Between July and December, development partners and international lenders disbursed $2.50 billion in loans and grants, down from $3.53 billion in the same period a year earlier, according to data released on Wednesday by the Economic Relations Division (ERD).

The slowdown marks a sharp reversal from the early months of the fiscal year. In the first five months alone, foreign disbursements had actually risen 26 percent, reaching $1.95 billion, compared with $1.57 billion a year earlier.

At the beginning of the previous...