Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Monday said Bangladesh did not return “empty-handed” from its discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stressing that the government had voluntarily withdrawn from the previous IMF programme because some of its conditions were not in the country’s best interests.

Speaking during his winding-up speech on the proposed national budget for FY2026-27 in parliament, the minister said the decision to exit the earlier programme was taken after carefully considering the interests of the country and its people.

“We ourselves withdrew from that programme because some of the conditions agreed under the previous government’s arrangement were not acceptable to us,” he told lawmakers.

Amir Khosru said the government would continue its engagement with the IMF and seek a new financing programme that better reflects Bangladesh’s national priorities while safeguarding public interest.

His remarks came a little over a month after the government announced its decision to opt out of the IMF loan programme signed under the previous Awami League administration and pursue a fresh package under revised terms.

Following a virtual meeting between the finance minister and IMF Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke on May 21, both sides agreed to begin negotiations on a new programme focused on a realistic and implementation-oriented reform agenda.

The government maintains that while it remains committed to preserving macroeconomic stability and carrying out structural reforms, several conditions attached to the previous IMF programme no longer match Bangladesh’s current economic realities and would be difficult to implement.

The proposed new programme is expected to be based on reforms that are practical, aligned with national development priorities and supportive of sustainable economic growth.