Dhaka, April 18 -- Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has brushed aside speculation about a possible stalling of loan tranches from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), describing the ongoing negotiations as a "work in progress" with no negative outcomes so far.

Speaking to journalists on Friday after meetings with IMF officials during the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, the minister responded to reports suggesting that the lender had "blocked" an upcoming instalment under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF).

"Those who have written negatively about the loan must provide their own answers. No such discussion took place, nor have we reached a stage where any instalment is being blocked," he said, adding that...