Bangladesh to host public debt management conference as government seeks to curb borrowing risks

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Bangladesh public debt conference

Highlights

Bangladesh will host a two-day debt management conference with the Asian Development Bank to strengthen institutional capacity and address rising borrowing risks.
The government is facing increasing domestic and external debt repayments and is exploring sovereign bond issuance in U.S. dollars, Japanese yen, and Chinese yuan to finance deficits.
Technical assistance missions and workshops have identified gaps in coordination due to divided responsibilities, leading to calls for an integrated debt management office to improve transparency and risk assessment.

Conference agenda and policy goals

As reported by The Business Standard, the two-day conference is being organised by the Finance Division with support from the Asian Development Bank, and will convene representatives from finance ministries, debt management agencies, development partners and international financial institutions.

A senior Finance Ministry official, speaking anonymously to the newspaper, says the meeting is intended to exchange international best practices, support debt sustainability and strengthen Bangladesh's institutional and technical capacity. According to the ADB, its regional technical assistance programme backs such forums to improve cooperation among member countries' debt managers and align them with international standards, strategies and best practices.

Discussions are set to cover sustainable borrowing strategies, balancing borrowing costs and risks, changes to the IMF and World Bank's debt sustainability frameworks, and mobilising private capital for public investment. Institutional reforms, coordination of debt data and management, and the creation of a dedicated debt management office are also expected to feature.

Debt pressures and financing implications

Bangladesh is moving ahead with the conference as domestic and external debt repayments rise while the government continues to borrow to finance budget deficits. Loan maturities, interest rates, exchange-rate exposure and future repayment capacity are becoming more important in public finance planning.

The government is also exploring sovereign bond issuance in international markets in U.S. dollars, Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, increasing the need for expertise in currency risk management, deal terms and investor confidence. Experts say an integrated debt management framework could improve borrowing and repayment decisions, strengthen risk assessment and increase transparency in debt data.

At a Finance Division workshop on 3 November 2025, officials identified coordination gaps because debt management responsibilities are split across several institutions. An IMF-World Bank technical assistance mission had recommended establishing an integrated debt management office.

The ADB previously held similar regional forums in China in May 2024, Cambodia in May 2025 and Sri Lanka in May 2026, focusing on debt sustainability, disaster-related risks, climate-resilient financing and local-currency debt markets. Separately, Unctad held its 14th International Debt Management Conference in Geneva on 17-19 March 2025 with more than 600 delegates from 107 countries.

As a reminder, we recently covered sovereign ratings pressures from geopolitical shocks and elevated fiscal spending that lift borrowing risks.

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