Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar has stated that, while Bangladesh is on the path to graduating from Least Developed Country (LDC) status to that of a developing nation, the country remains inadequately prepared for this transition.
The adviser made the statement as chief guest at a discussion titled “LDC Graduation and FTAs will Shape Bangladesh’s Future: Great Caution is Needed”, organised by Nagorik Uddyog and People’s Health Movement at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) conference room on Thursday morning.
She remarked that this “move” to graduate was inherited as a political decision from the previous government, adding that GDP figures, per capita income, maternal health, and other social indicators published during the former administration were inconsistent with ground realities.
She noted that, while Bangladesh meets the statistical criteria for LDC graduation, practical implementation remains challenging. “By November 2026, we must formally attain developing nation status, requiring the interim government to make necessary preparations within this timeframe,” she added.
The adviser emphasised the need to carefully assess how LDC graduation would impact tariff and GSP benefits, warning of new challenges in international competitiveness. She cautioned against cheap beef imports, stating: “Flooding the market with imported beef would devastate local cattle farmers, particularly impoverished women entrepreneurs in livestock rearing.”
“We’re working to reduce meat imports due to zoonotic disease (diseases which can be transmitted between animals and humans) risks from foreign products,” she continued, highlighting export potential for seaweeds and swamp eels. “As a self-reliant nation, we must curb imports while boosting domestic production capacity.”
The event featured additional speeches by economist Professor Anu Muhammad, Geneva-based Third World Network Legal Advisor Sanya Reid Smith, public health expert Dr Zahed Masud, and Advocate Taslima Jahan. Nagorik Uddyog Coordinator Barakatullah Maruf presented the keynote paper.