New York Sep 25 (V7N) – Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has voiced her strong backing for Bangladesh’s reform efforts, revealing that an IMF team has been dispatched to Dhaka to engage with stakeholders on the nation's restructuring initiatives.

Georgieva expressed her support during a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the UN headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday.

"Bangladesh has evolved into something new—it’s Bangladesh 2.0," Georgieva remarked after receiving a briefing from Prof Yunus on the student-led mass uprising that resulted in the ousting of the previous authoritarian regime.

Prof Yunus provided details about the six commissions formed by the interim government, which are tasked with recommending essential reforms in areas such as elections, civil administration, police, judiciary, anti-corruption efforts, and constitutional changes. He emphasized that discussions with political parties will be held to build consensus on these reforms. Once consensus is reached and the voter list is finalized, a date for the election will be announced.

Georgieva assured her support for these initiatives and mentioned that the IMF is prepared to expedite financial assistance to Bangladesh’s government. She confirmed that the IMF team currently in Dhaka would present its findings to the IMF management board next month.

Based on the team's report, the IMF board could either propose a new lending program or extend further support under the existing program launched early last year.

During the meeting, Energy, Power, and Transport Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan highlighted that the interim government swiftly dismantled criminal activities within the power and energy sectors. Additionally, renowned economist Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya emphasized the need for IMF assistance to stabilize Bangladesh’s balance of payments and address exchange rate issues.

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