Following the Government of Bangladesh’s formal request to the United Nations seeking a 3-year deferment of the country’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status under the Crisis Response provision of the Enhanced Monitoring Mechanism (EMM), the UN Committee for Development Policy (UN-CDP) convened a virtual consultation meeting with Bangladesh delegation on 29 April 2026, a press release said.
The Bangladesh side was led by the Honorable Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir; the Honorable Adviser for Finance and Planning, Dr. Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir; and the Honorable State Minister for Planning, Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki. The delegation also included senior government officials such as the Chairman of BIDA and the Secretary of the Economic Relations Division.
The private sector was strongly represented, with participation from BGMEA, led by its President and Faisal Samad, Director, BGMEA. Alongside, President of FLAXA Syed Nasim Manzur, President of BAPI Abdul Muktadir, President of DCCI Taskeen Ahmed and representatives from other business chambers were present.
In its presentation, the Government highlighted prevailing economic vulnerabilities, global uncertainties, and structural constraints affecting private investment, as well as the challenges faced by the new government in preparing for LDC graduation within a compressed timeframe.
BGMEA emphasized key sector-specific concerns, including the risk of losing preferential access to the European Union market under the GSP+ framework due to Article 29 safeguard thresholds, the absence of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), and capacity constraints in meeting double transformation rules of origin. The lack of policy stability and reforms to reduce the cost of doing business and improve the ease of doing business, which are vital for the transitional preparedness, were strongly underscored. Concerns were also raised regarding the potential adverse impacts of graduation on exports, employment, and overall economic stability, as well as the necessity of adequate preparation time for a smooth and irreversible transition.
Prior to the consultation, a series of preparatory discussions were held by the ERD among stakeholders to ensure alignment and clarity of positions.
The consultation concluded successfully, with all Bangladeshi stakeholders presenting a unified and coherent position while effectively addressing queries raised by the UN-CDP.
It is expected that this well-coordinated and evidence-based engagement will contribute positively toward securing a favorable outcome on Bangladesh’s request.
