World Bank President Ajay Banga meets with Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury. -Collected Photo
World Bank (WB) President Ajay Banga has affirmed his organization’s "all out support" for Bangladesh, specifically praising the detailed sector-wise election manifesto of the ruling BNP.
The commitment was made during a high-level meeting with Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury held Wednesday on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
During the session, which was also attended by the Prime Minister’s Adviser Rehan Asad, the World Bank President congratulated the BNP on its "historic win in the 2026 parliament elections to form the government."
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury urged the World Bank to enhance its support for transforming the national economy, emphasizing the critical need for "timely disbursement of capital and scaling up commitments."
In response, Ajay Banga reiterated the World Bank's readiness to help Bangladesh diversify its financing sources, suggesting a move toward "greater use of capital market instruments (e.g., bonds) alongside traditional concessional lending."
A major focal point of the discussion was job creation for the younger generation through the digital economy. Banga emphasized the importance of "enhancing nationwide digital connectivity capacity and developing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)."
Elaborating on the government's roadmap, Adviser Rehan Asad highlighted the BNP’s commitment to building "robust digital infrastructure—both wireless and wireline nationwide."
He detailed upcoming reforms in the ICT and Telecom sectors, including a recently launched DPI project designed to provide every citizen with "one digital ID and one digital bank account."
The World Bank expressed keen interest in partnering with the government on this digital transformation.
Minister Chowdhury also identified the "creative industry sector" as a burgeoning driver of growth and employment, seeking World Bank assistance to nurture the field.
On the structural front, President Banga stressed the "urgency of a comprehensive reform package," with a particular focus on: NPL (Non-Performing Loan) resolution, Financial sector strengthening and Revenue administration reforms
Reaffirming the government's stance, the Finance Minister committed to implementing the reform package, specifically mentioning "improvements in tax governance (NBR modernization)."
He requested that the World Bank maintain a "special focus on digital connectivity" to ensure job opportunities for the youth.
The meeting concluded with both sides agreeing to deepen collaboration by linking financial sector innovation with digital infrastructure development.
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