IMF leaves BB building, moves to WB Building

The International Monetary Fund has recently moved its local office, previously housed on the fifth floor of Bangladesh Bank headquarters in Motijheel, to World Bank’s Dhaka office in Agargaon. Confirming the news, Finance Division sources told the Dhaka Tribune that the IMF’s Resident Representative Stella Kendara recently sent a letter to the Finance Ministry in this regard. New address and phone numbers had also been attached to the letter, officials said. Established in 1945 after the World War II, IMF started operation in Bangladesh from 1974. Usually, as a part of its global operation, IMF sets up shop at central bank premises in every country. However, sources inside the Bangladesh Bank have claimed that that in last 41 years, the IMF did not pay any rent or service charges for occupying space inside the central bank’s Motijheel headquarters in 41 years. The Dhaka Tribune could not independently verify the authenticity of the claim. However, former deputy governor of the central bank Khandakar Ibrahim Khaled told the Dhaka Tribune that he is not aware of any lease contract between IMF and Bangladesh Bank regarding rent and service charge. Asked about the IMF office move, former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank Khandakar Ibrahim Khaled said International Monetary Fund works in conjunction with the World Bank. “Earlier, World Bank did not have an office in Dhaka. Now it has set up office in Agargaon, and therefore, IMF has no reason to stay in the central bank building,” said Khaled.