Bangladesh's economy has expanded by 4.86 percent in the third quarter (January-March) of the 2024-25 fiscal year in a recovery from the slowdown caused by political unrest in the first quarter.

Figures released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on Monday show the GDP at current prices reached Tk 14.20 trillion at the end of March, up from Tk 12.67 trillion during the same period last year, registering a year-on-year growth of 4.86 percent, compared to 4.62 percent in the third quarter of FY2024.

In the first and second quarters of the 2024-25 fiscal year, GDP growth stood at 1.96 percent and 4.48 percent, respectively.

By contrast, the first two quarters of the previous fiscal year recorded higher growth at 5.87 percent and 4.47 percent.

Over the July-March period, average growth in the current fiscal year is 3.81 percentage points lower than the same stretch of the previous year.

The economy had stumbled at the start of FY2025 amid widespread blockades, political violence, and internet shutdowns linked to the anti-discrimination movement, which paralysed economic activity.

As a result, GDP growth dropped sharply in the first quarter.

Following the fall of the previous government, an interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus took office. As political stability gradually returned, the economy began recovering from the second quarter onward.

Among the major sectors, industry posted the strongest growth in the third quarter at 6.91 percent, significantly higher than 4.55 percent during the same quarter last year. The services sector also showed robust performance with 5.88 percent growth, up from 4.31 percent in the third quarter of previous fiscal year.

In contrast, the agriculture sector lagged. It grew by only 2.42 percent between January-March, down from 4.02 percent in the corresponding quarter last year.

At constant prices, GDP stood at Tk 8.92 trillion at the end of March, compared to Tk 8.51 trillion a year earlier.

The ousted Awami League government had targeted 6.75 percent growth for FY2025. In December, the interim government revised that target down to 5.25 percent, but even the curtailed projection is likely to be missed. A further revision now places the likely growth rate at 5 percent.

For the ongoing fiscal year, Financial Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed has set a GDP growth target of 5.5 percent.

The government expects the growth rate to gradually rise to 6 percent in the 2026-27 fiscal year and 6.5 percent in the following financial year, subject to political stability and sustained economic reforms.