Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus yesterday urged the World Trade Organization (WTO) to provide full support to ensure a smooth transition for Bangladesh as it prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.

The finance adviser urged the private sector to take a leading role in job creation and global expansion

BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury yesterday said the government should push for the deferment of Bangladesh’s LDC graduation for at least three years.

The EU accounts for more than $25 billion in annual shipments from Bangladesh, or over 60 percent of total exports.

Commerce ministry to pursue bilateral deals for LDC trade benefits

Business leaders have continued to push the government to seek a deferral of Bangladesh’s graduation to a developing nation by five to six years, warning that a premature transition would cripple industries, erode export competitiveness, and trigger massive job losses.

Leading entrepreneurs yesterday urged the government to create an environment more conducive to doing business as Bangladesh prepares to graduate from the UN’s least developed country (LDC) category next year.

The urgency to establish a universal social protection system has never been greater for Bangladesh, Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud said yesterday, as the country moves towards upper-middle-income status.

Lack of efficient logistics poses threat to Bangladesh's export competitiveness, speakers say

The government is pressing ahead with Bangladesh's planned graduation from the UN's Least Developed Countries category in November 2026

Bangladesh’s leading business figures have urged the government to seek a six-year deferral of the country’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, warning that the economy is unprepared for the loss of vital trade preferences.

The debt bubble is ominous, given Bangladesh’s narrow export base and heavy reliance on remittance inflows.

In the budget for FY26, the government has proposed reducing import duties on certain goods and amending trade rules to enhance competitiveness in preparation for the country’s impending graduation from the list of least developed countries (LDCs).

Bangladesh’s public spending as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) is the lowest among nations on course to graduate from the least developed country (LDC) club.

In the past two years, the NBR brought down tariffs on 60 items within the bound tariff rates based on the panel's suggestion.

Bangladesh’s best course of action would be to prepare for smooth and sustainable graduation from the LDC group.

Bangladesh will take more time to decide on its graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category, scheduled for 2026, Commerce Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said yesterday.