Bangladesh will pursue a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme only if it protects public interest and the country's economic security, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said today.

"The issue for us is not obtaining funds; our primary concern is protecting the country's interests," he told reporters at the secretariat in Dhaka.

The government will not join any IMF programme that compromises the interests of the people, Chowdhury said.

The minister criticised the previous IMF programme undertaken by the former ousted government, calling it contrary to public interest.

According to him, the programme included conditions unacceptable to a democratic, elected government, prompting the current administration to withdraw from it.

"As an elected government, our foremost priority is to safeguard the interests of the people of Bangladesh and the national economy," he said.

"We are moving towards a new programme that ensures the economic interests of the people. Whatever programme we enter into, the interests of the people of Bangladesh will be fully protected."

The finance minister said the government remains focused on protecting the economy while engaging with international financial institutions.

He also said the government plans to revise the country's visa policy as part of efforts to build a modern Bangladesh, boost economic activity and strengthen international confidence.

"Our existing visa policy needs to be revised. It will be made simpler and more modern," he said.

A modernised visa regime would attract more foreign tourists, facilitate foreign investment and enhance Bangladesh's credibility in the international community, he added.

Chowdhury also expressed deep sorrow at the death of veteran politician, senior lawyer, former speaker of the national parliament and former acting president Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar.

The finance minister described Sircar as an honest and capable statesman who discharged his responsibilities as speaker with integrity and dedication, adding that his death is an irreparable loss to the country's political arena.

A fact-finding mission led by Ivo Krznar, the IMF mission chief for Bangladesh's loan programme, is now in Dhaka and participated in multiple meetings with officials from the finance ministry and Bangladesh Bank today.