Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed has expressed confidence that Bangladesh will successfully graduate from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category by 2026 as planned.
Speaking at an event in Dhaka on Saturday, he said the issue has sparked considerable debate in recent times. “There’s been much discussion about whether we should proceed with the graduation. But we’ve made our decision — we will graduate, and we are preparing accordingly,” he stated firmly.
Bangladesh is scheduled to transition out of the LDC bracket, as designated by the UN Committee for Development Policy, on November 24, 2026. The chief adviser has already directed all relevant authorities to take swift and coordinated action to ensure a smooth shift to the developing country category.
Salehuddin urged the private sector to actively contribute to this transition. “We must move forward quickly. Other nations have made significant progress, and we shouldn’t remain stagnant,” he said.
Bangladesh has been classified as an LDC since 1975 and qualified for graduation in 2018 after meeting the UN`s criteria in three areas: per capita income, human assets, and economic vulnerability.
The UN General Assembly formally recommended Bangladesh’s graduation during its 76th session on November 25, 2021.
As an LDC, Bangladesh currently benefits from duty-free and quota-free access to European markets. These trade privileges are expected to be phased out once the country moves to developing nation status.
