IMF says no decision has been made yet on the release of the loan tranche

The government has dismissed media reports suggesting that the International Monetary Fund has suspended the next tranche of its loan to Bangladesh.

In a statement issued on Friday (17 April) by the press wing of the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, D.C., it clarified that no such decision has been made. The statement said a Bangladesh delegation, led by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, held two rounds of meetings with the IMF on the sidelines of the World Bank–IMF Spring Meetings. The minister met Krishna Srinivasan, Director of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, in the morning, and later held talks with IMF Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke.

During the discussions, the minister তুলে ধরেন the BNP government’s governance approach and electoral commitments. Talks focused on strengthening revenue mobilisation and advancing reforms in the banking and financial sectors. Both sides reached broad agreement on most issues, while acknowledging that some matters would require further discussion. The minister also stressed the government’s firm position on issues concerning public interest, where differences remain.

The statement added that both sides agreed to continue engagement and expressed confidence that outstanding issues could be resolved through ongoing dialogue. The IMF also reaffirmed its role as a development partner of Bangladesh.

It further noted that the IMF intends to continue its support for Bangladesh throughout the tenure of the democratically elected government.