Bangladesh is preparing to sign a new partnership framework agreement with the World Bank, with a government delegation expected to meet the lender within the next two to three weeks to finalise the terms and action plan.Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury disclosed the development while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group in Bangkok on Friday.This year is extremely important for Bangladesh, and international organisations are also deeply aware of this, the minister said.He said major international development partners, including the World Bank, the IMF and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), were working closely with Bangladesh to accelerate economic development and effectively address global challenges.Reaffirming the government's commitment to implementing its election manifesto and development programmes, Amir Khasru said work was underway to establish a clear development framework for the next five years.He added that there were no major differences over the agreement's core policy issues, and that the details would be finalised through discussions and the preparation of a joint action plan.Earlier in the day, the finance minister held a series of meetings on the sidelines of the annual meetings at Bangkok's Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.He met representatives of Bank of America, Google, the IMF, Standard Chartered Bank and global credit rating agency Moody's.The discussions covered Bangladesh's overall economic situation, debt management and ongoing reforms in the financial sector.Referring to messages delivered at plenary sessions by the World Bank president and the IMF managing director, the minister said partnership was the greatest strength for developing and low-income countries amid the ongoing global economic crisis.He expressed hope that international development partners would continue their support to help Bangladesh meet public expectations and ensure sustainable economic growth.