Government working to finalise new import policy
The government is in the final stages of preparing the new import policy for 2026 to 2028 as part of efforts to strengthen Bangladesh's trade framework and ensure greater self-reliance, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said today.
At a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka today, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the Chief Adviser's Office, said: "The meeting was informed that the new import policy for 2026 to 2028 will be announced soon."
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Quoting the chief adviser, Shafiqul said, "We must not depend on others. We have to stand on our own feet and avoid all forms of dependency. It must be clear to us that we do not want to depend on others anymore."
"Whatever deadline we have, we must become self-reliant. To be self-reliant, we must use our intelligence, work hard, and keep fighting. Even if it is difficult, there is joy in this struggle. When we talk about a new Bangladesh, it means a self-reliant Bangladesh," he quoted Yunus as saying.
The meeting also discussed several issues related to economic and trade management, including visa complications, capacity building with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank, ICT incentives, gas supply, man-made fibre, and non-performing loans (NPLs).
"The chief adviser highlighted that since some visa-related problems still exist, he asked the foreign minister to make extra efforts to resolve them," Shafiqul said.
He also quoted the Bangladesh Bank governor as saying: "Our reserves are now equal to five months of imports. Inflation has fallen from 12.5 percent to 8.3 percent."
The government has set a target to bring down the NPL rate from 24 percent to 5 percent, he added.
The meeting also reviewed Bangladesh's progress toward graduating from the least developed country (LDC) category.
"Today's meeting was not about making a final decision on graduation," Shafiqul said. "It focused on our readiness for a smooth transition."
"We already shared our position in New York, and they are now independently assessing our readiness," he added.
At the end of the briefing, Shafiqul said the chief adviser wants to ensure a smooth transition before Bangladesh graduates from the LDC category in November 2026.
He further said Prof Yunus will attend the World Food Forum in Rome on October 12, where he will join several high-level meetings on the sidelines.
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