IMF says Bangladesh requests new assistance program amid Iran war fallout
The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday it was in negotiations with the Bangladeshi government for a new assistance program at Dhaka's request, as the South Asian country reels from the economic fallout of the Iran war.
"The Bangladeshi authorities have requested a new IMF-supported program," said Ivo Krznar, the Fund's Mission Chief for Bangladesh. "IMF staff are in discussions with the authorities on their reform agenda and policy priorities."
In March, Bangladesh's government said it was seeking loans of around $2 billion from multilateral donors to tackle energy security concerns sparked by the surging fuel prices caused by the war on Iran.
In a virtual meeting last week between Bangladesh Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and IMF Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke, both sides agreed to move quickly toward a new program, the finance ministry said in a statement on Monday.
