The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has questioned why Bangladesh has not taken steps to close or restructure banks with extremely high default loan ratios, some exceeding 80 percent. The issue was raised during a series of meetings held on Sunday between IMF representatives and officials from various departments of Bangladesh Bank. The IMF delegation, led by mission chief Ivo Krznar, is in Dhaka for a five-day visit to begin preliminary discussions on a new loan program.

Discussions covered banking sector reforms, non-performing loan (NPL) reduction, bank resolution strategies, Islamic banking, foreign exchange management, and a new 600 billion taka stimulus package. The IMF sought explanations on why state-owned banks were excluded from asset quality reviews and why weak banks had not yet entered resolution processes. Bangladesh Bank officials said guidelines for NPL resolution are being prepared for release by December, and IFRS-9 implementation instructions have already been issued to banks.

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury stated that any new IMF loan program will prioritize national interests. The government expects to secure $4–4.5 billion over three years to support macroeconomic stability and external financing needs.