[🇧🇩] LDC Graduation For Bangladesh

[Bilal9]

LDC graduation is not a solution for Bangladesh' economic ills, far from it.

Bangladesh will be stuck in a middle income trap for years to come, like some Asian tiger economies.

With other existing economic weaknesses, it promises that the economy in Bangladesh will suffer extreme moribund condition compared to other economies in Asia, whose management of their economies are far more timely/active and far superior.

 

[Saif]

Govt to seek delay in LDC graduation: Commerce minister

New commerce minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir has said initiatives will be taken to defer Bangladesh’s graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category. He added that work on the matter began today. He told journalists this at the secretariat on Wednesday. Work has already started at...

en.prothomalo.com

Govt to seek delay in LDC graduation: Commerce minister

Special Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 18 Feb 2026, 19: 46

Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir arrived at the secretariat on his first day in office today, Wednesday. Prothom Alo

New commerce minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir has said initiatives will be taken to defer Bangladesh’s graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category. He added that work on the matter began today.

He told journalists this at the secretariat on Wednesday. Work has already started at the Ministry of Commerce, and coordination and necessary communication will soon be carried out with the Economic Relations Division (ERD), he added.

He also said there is no obligation to send a formal letter in the first week, but work on the issue has begun from today,

Regarding the slowdown in exports, the commerce minister said Bangladesh’s export structure remains highly concentrated. At present, around 85 per cent of the country’s total export earnings come from a single product. To address this situation, diversification in export products will be introduced. Expanding into new markets and providing proper support to private entrepreneurs interested in investment will be the government’s priority.

He said sudden changes in United States tariff policy have created instability in the global market. As a poor country, Bangladesh has very limited room for mistakes. The country lacks the capacity to absorb policy errors or prolonged external shocks. Therefore, the government has begun working to quickly overcome the sluggish situation seen in recent months.

On the Ramadan market, the commerce minister said the market will remain stable if supply remains normal. He assured that the government has sufficient stocks of essential commodities for the month of Ramadan and the period afterwards, and that adequate supply in the pipeline has also been ensured. There is no reason to panic.

Regarding syndicates in the commodity market, he said he does not want to only make statements but wants to show results through action.

On investment, Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said investment does not come amid uncertainty. The primary condition for investment is a stable environment. Investors must be assured that they will receive reasonable returns against their capital and labour. He added that the country has a large working-age population, with around 2 to 2.2 million people entering the labour market every year.

He further said investment has remained stagnant for two to three years, creating major pressure on the economy. If this situation cannot be overcome, risks may arise for employment and overall economic stability.

Calling for cooperation with the government, the new commerce minister said people should point out mistakes if they occur and that the country must move forward through collective efforts.​

 

[Saif]

UN panel begins talks today on LDC deferral

Bangladesh’s plea for deferment of graduation from the group of Least Developed Countries (LDC) category is likely to be discussed at the five-day meeting of the UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP) beginning in New York today.

www.thedailystar.net

UN panel begins talks today on LDC deferral
23 February 2026, 00:00 AM

Refayet Ullah Mirdha

Illustration: E. Raza Ronny

Bangladesh’s plea for deferment of graduation from the group of Least Developed Countries (LDC) category is likely to be discussed at the five-day meeting of the UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP) beginning in New York today.

Before leaving the country to attend the meeting, Debapriya Bhattacharya, head of the Enhanced Monitoring Mechanism (EMM), a body of the UN CDP, said they will set up an evaluation process for Bangladesh’s plea for LDC deferment for three more years.

Debapriya, who is also a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said the request will be assessed based on recent socio-economic data, cross-country experiences and progress of the implementation of the Smooth Transition Strategy (STS), the guidebook of the LDC graduation.

UN CDP members will also widely discuss the country statements of graduating and recently graduated countries. Bangladesh submitted a country statement to the UN CDP describing the country’s economic situation in November last year.

Bangladesh is scheduled to graduate from LDC to a developing nation on November 24 this year, as the country has passed all three required criteria for two consecutive assessments, and the third assessment is ongoing.

However, the newly formed government sent a letter to the UN CDP on Wednesday requesting a deferment of the country’s graduation for three more years, as local businessmen have urged for more time to take extensive preparations for a smooth graduation.

Currently, Bangladesh enjoys zero-duty access for 73 percent of its exports as part of LDC provisions. After LDC graduation, this preferential market access will be lost, and Bangladesh may lose 14 percent of its exports or $8.0 billion worth of business in a year, different studies have suggested.

Nepal and Lao PDR are also scheduled to graduate along with Bangladesh this year, but they have not applied for deferment.​