Currency rates and the gold price are the two numbers that decide how much your money is really worth. One is set by central banks and markets; the other has been the world's store of value for five thousand years. When they move apart, it tells you something important — and in 2026 they have moved apart sharply.
This guide covers where gold and silver stand today, what the Bangladesh Jewellers' Association (BAJUS) rate means in practice, how the taka has fared against gold over a decade, and what all of this means if you are an expatriate deciding where to put your savings.
Gold, silver and BAJUS rates as of late August 2026
1. Currency rate vs gold rate — the essential difference
A currency is a promise. A government issues it, and its value depends on confidence in that government and its economy. Gold is not a promise — it is a physical metal whose supply grows by roughly 1.5% a year, no matter what any central bank decides.
That difference explains almost everything else. When central banks print money, the number of taka or dollars in the world rises. The quantity of gold barely changes. Over long periods, that arithmetic works in gold's favour.
1.1 A short history: the gold standard and what replaced it
Until 1971, the US dollar was convertible into gold at a fixed USD 35 per ounce. When that link was cut, every major currency became a pure fiat currency — backed by confidence rather than metal. Gold was USD 35 an ounce then. Today it is above USD 4,600. That is not gold becoming more valuable so much as paper money becoming worth less.
2. Gold and the dollar in 2026 — where things stand
Gold has had an extraordinary year. As of 26 August 2026 the spot price was around USD 4,624 per troy ounce, having touched roughly USD 4,677 a day earlier — the highest since mid-May.
| Period | Change in the gold price |
|---|---|
| Over the past month | ▲ about 13.4% |
| During August 2026 alone | ▲ more than 15% |
| Compared with a year ago | ▲ about 36.1% |
Meanwhile the taka has been remarkably steady. Between March 2025 and March 2026 it depreciated only 0.59% against the dollar — one of the most stable currencies in South Asia. In August 2026 the interbank rate moved between roughly BDT 122.70 and 123.81.
Read those two facts together and the picture is clear: the taka held its ground against the dollar, but both lost ground against gold. A stable exchange rate does not mean your savings are keeping pace with real assets.
3. Comparing currencies against gold
One ounce of gold costs the same everywhere in the world at any moment. What differs is how many units of each currency it takes to buy it. That makes gold a useful yardstick for comparing currencies.
| Currency | Approx. rate to BDT | What this means for a remitter |
|---|---|---|
| US Dollar (USD) | ~123.80 | The global benchmark; gold is priced in it |
| Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD) | ~396–398 | The strongest single currency; basket-pegged since 2007 |
| Bahraini Dinar (BHD) | ~322–324 | Pegged to the dollar since 2001 |
| Omani Rial (OMR) | ~315–317 | Pegged since 1986 |
| British Pound (GBP) | ~165 | Floats freely |
| Euro (EUR) | ~141–142 | Floats freely |
| Singapore Dollar (SGD) | ~95.5 | Managed against a basket band by MAS |
| Canadian Dollar (CAD) | ~88 | Floats; commodity-linked |
| Australian Dollar (AUD) | ~79–80 | Floats; commodity-linked |
| Qatari Riyal (QAR) | ~33.4 | Pegged at 3.64 to the dollar since 2001 |
| Saudi Riyal (SAR) | ~32.4–33.1 | Pegged at 3.75 since 1986 |
| UAE Dirham (AED) | ~33.7 | Pegged at about 3.67 since 1997 |
Notice that the Gulf currencies are pegged to the dollar. That means when the dollar weakens against gold, the riyal and the dirham weaken by exactly the same amount. If you earn in the Gulf, your salary's purchasing power in gold terms is tied to the dollar whether you like it or not.
4. Gold prices in Bangladesh — how BAJUS sets the rate
In Bangladesh, gold prices are announced by the Bangladesh Jewellers' Association (BAJUS). The published rate applies at jewellery shops nationwide until the next adjustment. Rates are quoted per bhori, the traditional unit equal to 11.664 grams.
| Grade | Price per bhori (incl. VAT) | Approx. per gram |
|---|---|---|
| 22 carat | BDT 2,47,743 | ~BDT 21,240 |
| 21 carat | BDT 2,36,604 | ~BDT 20,285 |
| 18 carat | BDT 2,03,187 | ~BDT 17,420 |
| Traditional (Sanatan) | BDT 1,65,920 | ~BDT 14,225 |
Prices have been moving quickly. On 22 August 2026 BAJUS raised 22-carat gold by BDT 5,482 per bhori to BDT 2,46,110, and a further adjustment took it to BDT 2,47,743 by 25 August.
Why the shop price is above the international price
Convert the international spot price and 22-carat gold works out well below the BAJUS figure. The gap is not a markup by any single shop — it is the sum of import duty, VAT, the jeweller's margin and, when you buy jewellery, the making charge. Making charges are not recoverable when you sell, which is the single most important thing to understand before treating jewellery as an investment.
5. Silver in 2026
Silver was around USD 70.17 per troy ounce in late August 2026. That puts the gold-to-silver ratio at roughly 66:1 — it takes about 66 ounces of silver to buy one ounce of gold.
Silver behaves differently from gold. It is both a precious metal and an industrial one, used in solar panels, electronics and medical equipment. That industrial demand makes it more volatile: it tends to rise further than gold in good times and fall harder in bad ones.
6. Working out the per-gram price yourself
You do not need a calculator app to sanity-check a quoted price. The arithmetic is simple:
- One troy ounce is 31.1035 grams. Divide the dollar spot price by 31.1035 to get the dollar price per gram of pure (24 carat) gold.
- Multiply by the current USD to BDT rate to get taka per gram.
- For 22 carat, multiply by 0.9167 (22 ÷ 24). For 21 carat, multiply by 0.875. For 18 carat, by 0.75.
- Then add duty, VAT and making charges to reach a realistic shop price.
If a quoted price is far above what this produces, ask what the making charge is. If it is far below, be cautious about the purity.
A note on forecasts
Gold is up 36% in a year, and it is tempting to assume that continues. It may not. Gold has had long flat stretches before — it went nowhere much between 2013 and 2019. Anyone who tells you confidently where gold will be next year is guessing. Treat forecasts, including optimistic ones, with caution.
7. For expatriates: currency, remittance and gold
If you work abroad and send money home, three practical points follow from all of the above.
Send through the legal channel first
The government pays a 2.5% cash incentive on remittances arriving through banks and authorised exchange houses. At a rate of BDT 123, that makes the effective rate about BDT 126.07. No gold strategy will beat simply not giving up that 2.5%. See our guide to the legal channel and the incentive.
Understand which bank rate applies to you
Remittances are converted at the TT Clean rate, not the higher BC Selling rate you see on the same sheet. Our guide to how bank dollar rates are set explains the difference.
If you are considering gold as savings
- Bars and coins keep more of their value than jewellery, because you are not paying a making charge you can never recover.
- Keep the receipt. Proof of purchase matters when you sell and for any question about the source of funds.
- Do not put everything in one asset. Gold protects against currency debasement, but it pays no interest and can fall for years at a time.
- Compare with the alternatives. The Wage Earner's Development Bond pays 9–12% tax-free and is government-backed. For many families that is a better fit than metal — see our guide to expatriate banking benefits.
This is general information, not investment advice. We are not licensed financial advisers, and decisions about where to put your savings should reflect your own circumstances — ideally after speaking to someone qualified.
8. Financial crises and the gold price
Gold's reputation as a safe haven comes from a repeated pattern: when confidence in the financial system falls, demand for gold rises. It happened after the 1971 end of dollar-gold convertibility, during the inflation of the late 1970s, in the 2008 global financial crisis, and again during the pandemic years.
The pattern is real, but it is not a rule. Gold has also fallen during periods of stress when investors sold it to raise cash. It is a hedge, not a guarantee.
9. Gold or silver — which is the better buy?
| Aspect | Gold | Silver |
|---|---|---|
| Main use | Store of value, jewellery, reserves | Industrial demand plus investment |
| Volatility | Lower | Higher — bigger swings both ways |
| Entry cost | High per unit | Much lower — easier to start small |
| Storage | Compact for the value | Bulky for the same value |
| Held by central banks | Yes, extensively | Essentially no |
Neither is universally better. Silver offers more upside and more risk; gold is the steadier of the two. The 66:1 ratio is one input some investors watch, but it has ranged widely over history and is not a reliable timing signal on its own.
10. Why central banks buy gold
Central banks hold gold as part of their foreign exchange reserves precisely because it is nobody's liability. A reserve held in another country's currency depends on that country's policy; gold does not. Sustained central bank buying has been one of the supports under the gold price in recent years, and it is a slower, less speculative source of demand than investor flows.
11. Gold purity and measurement — a quick guide
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| 24 carat | 99.9% pure gold — too soft for most jewellery |
| 22 carat | 91.67% gold — the standard for jewellery in Bangladesh |
| 21 carat | 87.5% gold — common in the Gulf |
| 18 carat | 75% gold — more durable, lower gold content |
| 1 bhori | 11.664 grams |
| 1 troy ounce | 31.1035 grams |
| 1 ana | One-sixteenth of a bhori, about 0.729 g |
Always ask for the hallmark and a proper receipt stating the grade and weight. If a seller resists either, walk away.
Frequently asked questions
Why is gold more expensive in Bangladesh than the international price?
Import duty, VAT, the jeweller's margin and making charges all sit on top of the international spot price. Making charges in particular are not recoverable when you sell.
How often does the BAJUS rate change?
Whenever market conditions require it — sometimes several times in a single month, as happened in August 2026.
Is gold a better investment than the Wage Earner's Development Bond?
They are different things. The bond pays a fixed 9–12% tax-free and is government-backed. Gold pays nothing but may rise or fall in price. Many families use both rather than choosing one.
Does the taka being stable mean my savings are safe?
Stable against the dollar, yes. But both the taka and the dollar lost ground against gold this year. Currency stability and preserving purchasing power are not the same thing.
Should I buy jewellery or bars as an investment?
Bars or coins, if the purpose is purely saving. Jewellery carries a making charge you cannot recover on resale.
Sources
- Bangladesh Jewellers' Association (BAJUS) — announced gold rates, August 2026
- International spot gold and silver prices, 25–26 August 2026
- Bangladesh Bank — exchange rate data and stability reporting
- News reporting on BAJUS rate adjustments, August 2026
Gold, silver and currency prices change daily and the figures above are a snapshot of late August 2026. Confirm current rates with BAJUS or your jeweller before buying or selling. This article is general information and not financial advice.