Sri Lanka took a loan of US$ 200 million from Bangladesh in 2021 on the condition of repayment within three months. Not being able to repay this loan on time, Sri Lanka asked for several rounds of time and Bangladesh also gave time. The last time to pay the dollar is April 2023.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rauf Talukder told reporters after the meeting of the World Bank and IMF Board of Governors in Washington on Thursday that this 200 million dollars will be returned by March next year.

Outside the meeting of the Board of Governors, he met with the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, P. Nandalal Birsingh, and told reporters that he got such an assurance there. Abdur Rauf Talukder said, “The country could not return our money on time due to economic crisis. We extended the loan repayment period twice.

The Governor said, ‘Nandlal Birsingh has confirmed that they are restructuring the economy and doing so in collaboration with India, Japan and China. They are also going to an IMF program. They may reach a final agreement with the IMF within the next two months. The Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said that they will be able to return our loan within the next period.

Abdur Rauf Talukder commented that it is very good news for Bangladesh. He said, “The country has not talked about it for so long. But today their governor has assured me.

Tomorrow there is a meeting with the governors of the central banks of the Commonwealth countries and Bangladesh is presiding over this meeting. Abdur Rauf Talukder said that he will preside over the meeting.

The governor is now in Washington to attend the World Bank and IMF annual conference. As Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal did not go, he is the leader of the 11-member Bangladesh team. The representative of Standard-Chartered Asia Pacific region and the vice chairman of US-based financial institution JP-Morgan met with the governor of Bangladesh Bank outside the annual conference of IMF-World Bank.

The governor said, “These two meetings were held because of their request. They want to give various benefits to Bangladesh. We said we would be in touch if necessary. I also said that they should help our private sector.