The Bangladesh government has temporarily suspended interest-free car loans for officials as part of a broader initiative to reduce fuel consumption and administrative expenses. The decision was announced following the fourth cabinet meeting held on Thursday at the Cabinet Division conference room in the National Parliament Secretariat, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. According to an official press release, the prime minister, ministers, and state ministers will also reduce their monthly fuel allocations for official vehicles by 30 percent.

The statement further detailed that all foreign training funded by the government will be halted until further notice, while domestic training expenses must be reduced by 50 percent. Additionally, hospitality costs for meetings and seminars are to be cut by 50 percent, conference expenses by 20 percent, and travel costs by 30 percent. These measures are aimed at curbing operational expenditures across government departments.

Under the existing 2020 policy, eligible officials such as deputy secretaries and above could previously access up to 3 million taka in interest-free loans to purchase vehicles, along with monthly allowances for maintenance and drivers. The suspension will remain in effect until new directives are issued.