Bangladesh and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have successfully concluded their fourth review, paving the way for the release of a combined $1.3 billion from the fourth and fifth loan tranches by June this year. According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday, the decision to combine the disbursement was taken following the third review, which highlighted the need for further assessment of key reforms in revenue management and exchange rate policies.

The fourth review, held in April in Dhaka, involved in-depth discussions on various policy matters. These discussions continued during the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C. As both sides reached a staff-level agreement, the IMF is expected to release the full $1.3 billion after evaluating progress on macroeconomic stability, revenue reforms, and exchange rate frameworks.

In addition to the IMF funds, Bangladesh anticipates receiving around $2 billion in budgetary support from other development partners such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Japan, and the OPEC Fund for International Development. This influx of foreign assistance is expected to strengthen the country’s foreign currency reserves and support the stability of the exchange rate.

It is noted that the reform programs being implemented as part of this support are entirely designed by the Bangladesh government and are aligned with national interests. The role of development partners remains limited to technical assistance within these frameworks.