The International Monetary Fund is eager to provide financial assistance to Bangladesh, along the lines of the World Bank, to deal with the Rohingya crisis that has been putting a huge pressure on the economy.

“We are in close consultations with the authorities and we stand ready to provide assistance when and if needed,” said Kenneth Kang, deputy director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific department.

Kang's comments came on Saturday at a briefing on the Asia Pacific region, held on the sidelines of the WB-IMF annual meeting at Washington DC.

“It's reported that there are about 500,000 refugees who have entered into Bangladesh. At this stage, it's too early to conduct a proper assessment of the economic impact,” he added.

Since August 25, about 600,000 Rohingyas have crossed over to Bangladesh from Myanmar.

Bangladesh is struggling to meet their demand for food, clothing and other basic necessities, and with no solution to the problem in sight, the situation is fast becoming untenable for the country.

The United Nations has already sought $435 million in assistance from the global community to meet immediate needs of the refugees.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith also told reporters in Washington on Thursday that the influx of Rohingyas has put huge pressure on Bangladesh's economy.

About $2 billion is required to face the refugee crisis, he said.

“Upon returning to Bangladesh I will have to change the budget allocation. More money will go to refugee relief and less for development programmes,” Muhith added.

The WB is also ready to move with a programme of support for the Bangladesh government.

While Bangladesh has kept its doors open to the refugee influx, its ability to provide for them has been stretched, as the country struggles with its own poverty challenges, said the WB in a statement after a meeting with Finance Minister AMA Muhith on October 11.

“While we hope the refugees can safely return home soon, it is important that the international community support them and the host communities in the near-term with basic services. We will do everything we can to provide that support,” said Annette Dixon, WB's vice-president for the South Asia region.

The value of the WB programme is yet to be decided, but it could include expanding access to health, education, water, sanitation and roads.