"If the IMF (International Monetary Fund) imposes new or stricter conditions on the promised loan, the government will think twice about taking the loan. Rather, we will think about alternative sources because our economy is much more stable than before," said Saleh Uddin Ahmed, the interim government's financial advisor.

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters on the second day of the International Monetary Fund's annual meeting on Tuesday (October 14).

The financial advisor said that the government will reconsider if the IMF (International Monetary Fund) imposes any new conditions or sets strict calculations.

He said that it is not yet final whether to seek budget support or not. However, if the IMF's terms are not favorable for the country, the government will look at seeking support from alternative sources.

The financial advisor also said, "We are now trying to arrange alternative budget support—there is an opportunity to seek cooperation from organizations like ADB and AIIB."

He further added, "Right now we are in the ongoing IMF program, but whether we will go into a new program or not will depend on the government's decision."

When the reserves began to decline continuously due to the economic shock caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the then government came to the IMF in 2022. At that time, a loan agreement of $4.7 billion was signed on various conditions. Later, after the mass movement in 2024, the interim government came to power and signed a loan agreement of another $800 million. As a result, the IMF's various conditions on the reform issue increased.

The advisor said that Bangladesh's discussions with several international organizations, besides the World Bank-IMF annual meetings, have been fruitful.

He said, "We have already discussed development loans, grants and budget support with various international organizations including the World Bank, IMF, ADB, OPEC. In continuation of this, exchange of views is also underway on future cooperation and reform programs."

The Financial Advisor said that he recently had a fruitful meeting with the Vice President of ADB and several more meetings are scheduled. He also participated in the Commonwealth Finance Bridge Forum and highlighted the steps taken to address Bangladesh's financial progress and global challenges.

"Bangladesh is in a much better position now than where we were last year. The economy has stabilized, the foreign exchange market and reserve position have improved, inflation has come down somewhat, and business activity has picked up," he claimed.

The Economic Advisor also said that the government is implementing comprehensive reform programs in various sectors, including the banking sector, which have been discussed in detail with development partners. "The reform programs are still ongoing and it will take some time to further strengthen the regulatory framework," he said.

He mentioned that there were also discussions on maintaining the continuity of reforms and directions for the next government to address challenges. Special emphasis is also being given to ensuring that the new generation benefits from these reforms.

Salauddin Ahmed said, "The positive transformation of our economy is now visible in the international arena. The designs of two new projects have been finalized with the World Bank, which will add new dimensions to Bangladesh's development progress."

He expressed optimism that Bangladesh's economy will improve further in the coming years if the ongoing stability and reform process continues.