Imf on bangladesh: Salehuddin Ahmed, financial advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh, said on Wednesday (25 June 2025) that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had sought information on the date of the upcoming general election before releasing the fourth and fifth installment of the loan. The IMF Executive Board has recently approved the fourth and fifth installments under a $ 4.7 billion loan program for Bangladesh. Under this, Bangladesh will now get about $ 1.34 billion.
According to reports, the fourth installment in December was stopped by the IMF when many conditions could not be fulfilled due to political instability and economic challenges after the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024. Salehuddin Ahmed told the local media, “The IMF asked me if the elections will be held in February. They want to be convinced about it. We told them that yes, elections will be held in February itself. Now all, even IMF is satisfied that the election date has been announced.
Bangladesh continues three IMF
IMF has released $ 2.31 billion in three installments to Bangladesh, with $ 1.15 billion released last year. After approval of the fourth and fifth installment on Monday (23 June 2025), the IMF made a statement that Bangladesh’s economic situation has worsened during the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus. Reasons such as continuous political uncertainty, strict monetary policies, increase in business obstacles and tension in the banking sector were given behind this.
IMF warning to Bangladesh
IMF has warned Bangladesh that it should prioritize the financial sector policies and deal with increasing weaknesses. A concrete strategy should be developed immediately to ensure the safety of small depositors by implementing a new legal structure for banking reforms. ” The IMF also said that it will be mandatory for Bangladesh to rapidly implement structural reforms to achieve high-medium income status.
Mohammad Yunus’s pressure on the interim government
Significantly, the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus is already under heavy pressure on political and security fronts. The government is facing a sharp criticism from within itself due to failure in economic reforms. The destinations believe that Bangladesh’s economy is in serious crisis due to the political upheaval that has been going on since August 2024. The business sector in the country is facing huge cash crisis and many commercial and industrial institutions have been closed.