Dr. Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, the newly appointed Special Assistant overseeing Bangladesh’s Ministry of Finance, announced that the government is deeply reassessing the country’s scheduled graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in November 2026. Given global and local economic challenges, a committee led by the principal secretary has been formed to evaluate the impact and possible delay of this transition.
Business leaders fear losing preferential trade benefits post-graduation, which could negatively affect exports. While the WTO has allowed LDCs an additional three years of trade benefits, these must be negotiated bilaterally. The EU, Canada, the UK, and Australia have committed to extending LDC benefits for Bangladesh until 2029.
Dr. Anisuzzaman emphasized that if Bangladesh applies for a two-year delay, it must submit a well-structured and credible roadmap. The government is still in the evaluation phase and has not made a final decision.
Additionally, he highlighted the importance of resource mobilization through tax compliance and capital market development. He also stressed the government’s commitment to recovering laundered money, with support from international organizations like the World Bank. Though the process is complex and legally challenging, he expressed optimism about retrieving misappropriated funds.
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