BM Desk :  As part of a $5.5 billion loan program under budget support, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expected to visit Bangladesh soon for the next round of program review. During this visit, the IMF team will assess progress in two critical areas of reform.

The announcement was made by Krishna Srinivasan, Director of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, during a press briefing at IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Thursday (October 16, local time).

He stated that the two focus areas for this review will be:

Revenue sector reform – through enhanced revenue collection.

Financial sector reform.

Srinivasan emphasized that Bangladesh must continue efforts in these key areas to ensure the success of the ongoing loan program.

Meanwhile, the IMF’s Regional Economic Outlook for Asia and the Pacific, also released on Thursday, projected that Bangladesh’s economy is likely to recover moderately in the 2025–26 fiscal year, with GDP growth reaching 4.9%, up from 3.8% in the previous fiscal year.

The report also forecasted a decrease in inflation. Average inflation is expected to decline to 8.42% in FY2025–26, and further drop to 5.06% the following year.

However, the IMF cautioned that slow progress in implementing reforms and slower-than-expected disinflation could pose challenges for Bangladesh. It also highlighted potential risks to trade due to energy supply constraints and global policy uncertainties.