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Bangladesh has secured initial assurances from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and other multilateral lenders of substantial financial support to absorb the energy import shock triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran, according to Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury. Speaking on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington late Thursday (Bangladesh time), the minister indicated that Dhaka expects an "improved package" beyond its regular budget support envelope, though he declined to disclose specific figures. The government is targeting approximately $3 billion in emergency assistance to bridge a projected $2.61 billion foreign exchange gap created by surging oil, LNG, and fertiliser import costs over the March–June period.

The fiscal arithmetic

A Finance Ministry impact analysis estimates Bangladesh will require an additional $2.61 billion in foreign exchange to meet energy and fertiliser import obligations through June. Total expenditure on crude oil, liquefied natural gas, and fertiliser over the four-month window is projected at approximately $5.62 billion — an 86.7 percent jump from the corresponding period a year earlier. The pressure reflects Bangladesh's structural dependence on imported energy, a vulnerability amplified by conflict-driven price volatility in global commodity markets. Officials in the delegation said Dhaka pressed for additional funds during a four-day series of meetings with the IMF, World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and other donor agencies, seeking resources beyond standard budget support arrangements.

The multilateral response framework

Bangladesh is positioned to draw on emergency facilities that the major development financiers have activated in response to the wider regional crisis. The World Bank has signalled it could mobilise up to $100 billion over the next 15 months, surpassing the $70 billion committed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The IMF has separately declared up to $50 billion in emergency support for developing and low-income countries, while the Asian Development Bank has unveiled a dedicated package for its Asia-Pacific members. Krishna Srinivasan, director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department, confirmed at a Washington press conference that negotiations with Bangladesh are continuing on both policy support and programme-level questions. "We are working with the authorities… negotiations are ongoing," he said, adding that outcomes would depend on how the discussions evolve.

What remains unresolved

Beyond the emergency package, Bangladesh is set to receive more than $2 billion in regular budget support from three development partners in the current fiscal year — a parallel track that cushions the immediate fiscal squeeze but does not directly address the energy-driven foreign exchange shortfall. Chowdhury said development partner teams are expected to visit Bangladesh in the coming weeks to finalise the structure of the new package, indicating that the $3 billion target has not yet been formally committed. The finance minister's framing — "I believe we will get the package… My impression is that we will get the package" — suggests Dhaka is calibrating expectations ahead of formal disbursement schedules rather than announcing a concluded deal, leaving the precise composition, conditionality, and timing of the package as the key variables for the next quarter.