Bangladesh’s economic activities and reform programmes are progressing in the right direction despite global economic uncertainty and geopolitical crises, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said.

He made the remarks on Thursday after a meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke in Bangkok.

The finance minister said the IMF had expressed satisfaction with Bangladesh’s economic progress despite global challenges. Discussions covered the country’s current economic situation, banking sector reforms, macroeconomic stability and a possible new IMF programme.

He said Bangladesh was making progress despite the challenging international environment marked by economic downturns and conflicts, adding that discussions with delegations from the IMF and the World Bank had been detailed and constructive.

Regarding banking sector reforms, the minister said the meeting addressed bank recapitalisation, banking sector discipline and overall economic stability. He acknowledged that international partners might have certain observations but said the government viewed these as a normal part of discussions and expected to resolve outstanding issues through mutual understanding.

Amir Khosru described discussions on a potential new IMF lending programme and future economic policies as positive and productive. However, he said the process was ongoing and would require more time before a final decision could be reached.

He said discussions could continue over the next several months before the programme was finalised, expressing hope that Bangladesh’s engagement with the IMF, the World Bank and other multilateral development partners would proceed in an orderly manner.

Asked whether international lenders had questioned the credibility of the government’s reform agenda, the finance minister said they had not raised such concerns. He added that the government would work with the IMF and the World Bank through partnerships to implement its planned reforms.