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 breathing space," quoting the prime minister as saying Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told a news briefing.

The prime minister made the remarks when an IMF delegation led by its Managing Director (MD) Kristalna Georgieva paid a courtesy call on her at the meeting room of The Ritz-Carlton hotel here this afternoon.
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The IMF recently approved a loan of $4.7 billion for Bangladesh.

The foreign minister said that the IMF managing director has highly praised the unprecedented advancement of Bangladesh in various sectors under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina which made Bangladesh's 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 leaders like Bangladesh's Prime Minister are necessary to go ahead towards prosperity confronting all the hurdles.

She said Bangladesh has achieved remarkable progress due to establishing massive infrastructure development, well connectivity and maintaining law and order.

Kristina also hailed maintaining stability in the macro economy even in the Covid-19 pandemic.

PM Hasina apprised the IMF chief of her government initiatives to make sure the overall development of her country.

"The development of the country has not been made in a day rather it's a result of longtime planning," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said that she prepared the plan on how she wanted to develop Bangladesh while she was in jail after the changeover and started working on the plan after assuming power for the second time in 2009.

She apprised the IMF boss of Bangladesh's measures to fight the adverse impact of climate change and women's empowerment.

The Prime Minister hailed the role of the IMF in the journey of Bangladesh's development and wished for the continuation of the support in future.

During the briefing, Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder said the IMF has always stood 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 $4.7 billion with IMF which Bangladesh has got only two weeks of negotiation despite the fact many countries cannot avail of the loan after years of negotiation, he said.

"IMF will continue such kind of cooperation in future," Rouf said quoting the IMF chief.

Finance Division Senior Secretary Fatima Yasmin and Economic Relations Division Secretary Sharifa Khan were present during the briefing.