Zoom-Bangla Desk: 50 countries of the world, including Bangladesh, are at risk of bankruptcy. Two years ago, a top UN official warned about the issue. The Indian media CNBC TV18 has published a report on the seven countries at risk.

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The report published by the media on Saturday (October 5) highlighted the fragile economic situation of seven such countries. Apart from Bangladesh, there are Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Argentina, Zambia and Ghana.

According to the report, the total debt of Bangladesh is 156 billion dollars, which is five times more than in 2008. Whereas global rating agencies like S&P Global have identified Bangladesh as a place of 'junk'.

Besides, before the recent political crisis and change of power, Bangladesh's borrowing and repayment capacity was on the decline.

As a result, the country's foreign exchange reserves decreased from $32 billion in January 2023 to $20 billion in September 2024.

The report also said that Bangladesh Bank has devalued the money in the last few years. But such steps have not yet brought any solution. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that inflation may rise to 10.1 percent in 2025 due to rising food prices.

According to the report, increasing the amount of non-performing loans may exacerbate the liquidity crisis in banks. Although there is no debt crisis right now, the economy is slowing down. It needs a quick solution. The IMF loan of 4.7 billion dollars has boosted Bangladesh's economy somewhat. They are paying off this loan in three and a half years till 2026.

In 2022, Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), warned that 50 poor countries are at risk of bankruptcy. Reasons for bankruptcy include high inflation, energy crisis and rising debt burden.

According to the report, the warning of the UNDP chief is still relevant. Because, in the meantime, the bankruptcy of several countries in the world has been revealed.