Bangladesh takes IMF loan as ‘breathing space’: PM
Online desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said Bangladesh has taken a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a ‘breathing space’ while the global lender assured of continuing to provide such support in future.
“We have taken the loan from the IMF as a breathing space,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told a news briefing quoting the Prime Minister as saying, reports BSS.
The prime minister made the remarks when an IMF delegation led by its managing director Kristalina Georgieva paid a courtesy call on her at the meeting room of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington on Sunday afternoon.
The IMF has recently approved a loan of US$4.7 billion for Bangladesh.
The foreign minister said the IMF MD has highly praised the unprecedented advancement of Bangladesh in various sectors under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina which makes Bangladesh economy stable after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Bangladesh is a role model in the world (in terms of its overall development) which makes its economy even after the Coronavirus pandemic,” Momen said, quoting the IMF managing director.
The IMF chief said leadership like Bangladesh prime minister is necessary to go ahead for prosperity confronting all the hurdles.
She said Bangladesh has achieved remarkable progress due to establishing massive infrastructure development, well connectivity and maintaining the law and order.
Kristalina also hailed maintaining stability in the macro-economy, even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bangladesh’s prime minister apprised the IMF chief of her government initiatives to make sure the overall development of her country.
“The development of the country has not taken place in a day, rather it’s a result of longtime planning,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said she prepared the plan on how she wanted to develop Bangladesh while she was in jail after the changeover and started working with the plan after assuming power for the second term in 2009.
The prime minister hailed the role of IMF in the journey of Bangladesh’s development and wish continuation of the support in future.
During the briefing, Bangladesh Bank governor Abdur Rouf Talukder said the IMF has always stand by Bangladesh in the last 14 years to maintain stability in the macro-economy and also gave required advice as the country never derailed from it.
Bangladesh is currently engaged with a programme of US$4.7 billion with the IMF which the country received after only two weeks of negotiation despite the fact many countries can’t avail the loan after negotiation for years, he said.
“IMF will continue such kind of cooperation in future,” Rouf said, quoting the IMF chief.
