Dhaka, Oct. 7 -- Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury's claim that Bangladesh "does not want to rely" on financing from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and International Monetary Fund has created "confusion" over the government's actual position on a new IMF loan.

Speaking at an event on Sunday, just eight days before the IMF-World Bank Group annual meetings in Bangkok from Oct 12 to 18, Khosru said: "Forget about the IMF giving money, the World Bank giving money. I have cancelled the IMF programme, as you have seen. Their conditions are not acceptable to us."

His remarks appeared to suggest that not only the previous IMF agreement, signed under the Awami League government, but also negotiations for a new programme had b...