Australia reaffirms support for BD’s banking sector reforms

The assurance came today during a courtesy meeting between Australian High Commissioner Susan Ryle and Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Md. Mostaqur Rahman at the central bank headquarters in the city, said a press release.

Senior officials attending the meeting included Deputy Governor Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman, Head of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) Ikhtiar Uddin Mohammed Mamun, and Executive Director Md. Sarwar Hossain.

The two sides discussed a broad range of economic issues, including Bangladesh's macroeconomic outlook, ongoing banking sector reforms, management of non-performing loans (NPLs), foreign exchange reserves, cooperation with international development partners, and measures adopted in response to global economic challenges. 

They also exchanged views on the restructuring of several banks.

The Governor thanked Australia for its previous technical assistance in strengthening Bangladesh's digital payment infrastructure. 

The Australian High Commissioner commended the central bank's recent promotion of the "Bangla QR" platform under its "Cashless Bangladesh" initiative.

The meeting also highlighted the contributions of Bangladesh Bank officials who have received higher education through the Australia Awards program, noting that they have played an important role in promoting knowledge exchange and institutional cooperation between the two countries.

Both sides expressed their intention to deepen collaboration in financial sector modernization, capacity building, and knowledge sharing, reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation in the years ahead, reports BSS.