Dhaka, June 25 -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) asked about the date of the national election in Bangladesh before releasing the fourth and fifth tranches of its loan, says Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed.

After a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Government Purchase on Wednesday, he said budget support from international financial institutions began to come in after a possible date for the parliamentary polls was announced.

Around midnight on Monday Bangladesh time, the IMF's executive board approved the long-delayed fourth and fifth tranches of the loan. Bangladesh is receiving nearly $1.34 billion from the tranches of the $4.7 billion loan programme this month.

The IMF last released $1.15 billion in the third tranche in ...