Press Release No. 23/137

IMF Staff Concludes Visit to Bangladesh

May 7, 2023

Dhaka, Bangladesh: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team, led by Mr. Rahul Anand, Mission Chief for Bangladesh, conducted a staff visit to Dhaka from April 25 to May 7, 2023, to discuss recent macroeconomic developments and implementation of the Fund-supported program.

At the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Anand issued the following statement:

“Against a challenging economic backdrop, Bangladesh remains one of the fastest growing economies in the Asia-Pacific region. However, persistent inflationary pressures, elevated volatility of global financial conditions, and slowdown in major advanced trading partners continue to weigh on growth, foreign currency reserves, and the Taka.

“During the visit, we discussed recent macroeconomic and financial sector developments. We also took stock of the progress made toward meeting key commitments under the Fund-supported program. This will be formally assessed in the first review of the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) / Extended Fund Facility (EFF) / Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangements, which is expected to be undertaken later this year.

“The IMF team held meetings with Bangladesh Bank Governor Mr. Abdur Rouf Talukder, Finance Secretary Ms. Fatima Yasmin, and other senior government and Bangladesh Bank officials. We also met with representatives from the private sector, bilateral donors, and development partners.

“We would like to thank the authorities for candid discussions and their warm hospitality. We look forward to continuing our engagement in support of Bangladesh and its people.”