Bangladesh exports earned $3.3 billion in August, a 20 per cent increase from a year earlier, driven by a surge in shipments, government data showed on Tuesday.

Exports had fallen 3.5 per cent to $2.5 billion in July due to the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

For July-August, the first two months of the 2016-17 financial year, exports rose 8 per cent to $5.8 billion from a year earlier, the Export Promotion Bureau said.

Readymade garments, comprising knitwear and woven items, totalled $4.8 billion, up 8 per cent from a year ago period.