Dhaka, Jan. 3 -- Following an upward trend, Bangladesh's external debt declined to some extent in the first quarter (Q1) of the current fiscal year (FY 2022-23) thanks to lower public borrowings due to stalled less-priority projects amid the sluggish economic situation.

The debt fell by over US$ 2.54 billion to $ 92.69 billion in the July-September quarter of FY 2022-23 from $ 95.23 billion in the previous quarter (April-June period of FY 2021-22), according to latest figures of Bangladesh Bank (BB).

In the January-March and October-December quarters of the last FY, the foreign debt figures - $93.23 billion and $90.79 billion - showed an upward trend.

Of the total Q1 debt, the public sector accounted for $67.29 billion, down $0.73 bill...