Focus on stability, handover reforms to elected govt: Adviser

“We will consolidate the work done so far. Of course, we can’t complete everything. Major reforms such as tax restructuring, public sector pay commission review, and strengthening the banking sector will continue. These will be carried forward by the next government,” he stated.

The Finance Adviser was briefing reporters after chairing three separate meetings on the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs, Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase and the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at Bangladesh Secretariat today.

He said the government has already undertaken necessary reforms and is consolidating the progress before the upcoming general election scheduled for February 2026.

He noted that tax compliance among citizens remains a bit weak while the there were also impacts on revenue collection in this year for various reasons. “We are working to resolve these issues,” he added.

When asked about the progress in releasing the expected tranche from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr Salehuddin said the IMF had expressed their satisfaction over the achievements made by the interim government over the months. 

He said the IMF has also emphasized increasing expenditure in the social sectors, especially health, education and social protection. “On food security, we are performing reasonably well,” he said.

Responding to a question on whether the government expects to receive the next IMF tranche during the tenure of the interim administration, the adviser confirmed that Bangladesh has already submitted relevant reports to the IMF and a review mission will visit the country again early next year. 

“The IMF will review again around the election period and then decide on disbursement. We have no objection to this. A stable political government is needed for sustained reform,” Dr Ahmed said.

The Finance Adviser said the IMF is continuing its review of Bangladesh’s progress under the ongoing loan programme, and a final decision regarding the next installment is expected after the formation of the next political government.

“The IMF has acknowledged that the government has been working to address macroeconomic challenges and implement reforms. They have some recommendations, particularly on revenue generation. We agree that tax revenue remains low, and there are structural reasons for this,” Dr Ahmed said.

Asked about recent remarks by the Bangladesh Bank Governor on certain policy proposals, the adviser declined to comment but said any major decision would be taken collectively by the government. “This is an internal matter of the Bangladesh government. It will go to the advisory council for consideration,” he added.

The $4.7 billion IMF loan programme, approved in January 2023, aims to support Bangladesh’s economic stability, strengthen fiscal reforms, and enhance resilience amid global economic pressures. Several tranches have already been disbursed, while further installments remain tied to policy performance benchmarks and structural reforms.

On June 23, 2025 the IMF approved the release of the fourth and fifth tranches amounting to $1.3 billion, taking the overall amount of disbursement to $3.6 billion, reports BSS.