United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP) has asked Bangladesh to submit a progress report on its preparations for graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category by 31 October.
In a letter sent on 25 August, CDP Chair José Antonio Ocampo invited Bangladesh to join a virtual meeting between October and December, where the report will be reviewed. The Ministry of Commerce is preparing the document and officials confirmed it will be sent within the stipulated time.
Bangladesh is scheduled to graduate from LDC status on 24 November 2026 after an eight-year process. However, business leaders argue that the country is not fully prepared and have suggested seeking a five to six-year deferral. The government has not yet taken any new decision on this, though the Advisory Council approved
graduation in principle on 13 March.
“Do we really have strong grounds to delay?” asked Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Finance. “Instead, we should focus on sustainable development. The European Union is applying the same labour and environmental standards to all countries. For Bangladesh to remain competitive, we must strengthen energy, taxation, and logistics.”
The UN-CDP letter reminded Bangladesh of its obligation under UN General Assembly resolution 67/221 to submit annual reports on implementing its Smooth Transition Strategy (STS). Such progress reviews are part of the Enhanced Monitoring Mechanism under the Doha Programme of Action.
Economist Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue and a CDP member, said the way Bangladesh frames its situation in the upcoming report will influence how any deferral request is received. “A decision to delay graduation must be backed by strong evidence and political support from development partners,” he said.
Bangladesh was included in the LDC list in 1975. Graduation assessments are based on three criteria: per capita income, human assets, and economic and environmental vulnerability.
