DE News Desk :
Bangladesh is set to receive $3.5 billion in foreign loans by June, including a $1.3 billion disbursement from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and an additional $2.2 billion from various multilateral lenders, according to Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur.
The announcement came during a scheduled press briefing held at the Bangladesh Bank headquarters in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Governor Mansur confirmed that the upcoming IMF tranche, part of the $4.7 billion bailout package approved in early 2023, includes both the third and fourth installments.
He stated that Bangladesh has successfully met critical IMF reform conditions, particularly those related to foreign exchange rate liberalization and expansion of the tax net.
“In fulfilling these benchmarks, we have paved the way for further disbursements from the IMF,” Mansur said.
“Additionally, we anticipate receiving another $2.2 billion from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the OPEC Fund.”
Addressing concerns over exchange rate volatility, the central bank chief assured that the dollar-taka rate would remain stable.
He attributed this stability to a recent surge in remittance inflows and export earnings, which he said would discourage any artificial manipulation of the exchange rate.
“Market forces cannot arbitrarily push the rate up for vested interests,” he emphasized.Governor Mansur also outlined ongoing efforts to reform the banking sector.
He noted that Bangladesh Bank has restructured the boards of 14 banks and introduced restrictions on dividend distribution to improve financial discipline.
The press conference was attended by Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Dr. Habibur Rahman and other senior officials, who reiterated the central bank’s commitment to strengthening macroeconomic stability through prudent monetary and regulatory policies.
The incoming funds are expected to ease pressure on Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves and support key development and budgetary needs in the coming months.