The Bangladesh Bank has decided to keep the interest rate on a €470.78 million loan to the Payra Port Authority unchanged at 2%, despite rising market interest rates. The decision, made during the bank’s 438th board meeting, followed government opposition to a proposed rate hike. The loan, approved in 2021 under a government guarantee, was drawn from the central bank’s foreign currency reserve via Sonali Bank to finance dredging at Payra Port. This project remains the sole beneficiary of the Bangladesh Infrastructure Development Fund (BIDF), established to use forex reserves for development projects. Critics argue that such funding decisions were unwise, citing potential risks to reserve stability.
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