Bangladesh is seeking $700 million in financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, Tokyo-based Nikkei Asian Review reports.
"We are currently assessing the government's request to the IMF for emergency financing,” Ragnar Gudmundsson, the fund's representative in Dhaka, reports bdnews24.com quoting the Nikkei Asian Review.
The plea coincides with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's announcement on Sunday of a $9.0 billion stimulus package, equal to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product, aimed at cushioning the economic blow from the lockdown induced by the coronavirus outbreak.