Dhaka, April 2 -- Bangladeshi expatriates have sent over $1.99 billion in March, the lowest in three months.

The inward remittances last month, which ended just 10 days before Eid-ul-Fitr, were also 1.26 percent lower than the funds received in the same month last year, Bangladesh Bank data showed on Monday.

Remittances were below the $2 billion mark for the last time in December. The amount reached $2.11 billion in January and $2.16 billion in February.

Despite the fall in March, remittances in the first nine months of the current fiscal year saw a nearly 6.5 percent growth to $17 billion.

Central bank officials hope remittances will rise again in April ahead of the Eid.

To encourage expatriate workers to send remittances home throu...