The Bangladesh government has been working to postpone the deadline for the country’s transition from a least developed country (LDC) to a developing nation, according to Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman. Mahbubur made the remarks at a workshop on LDC graduation organised by Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID) in Dhaka on Tuesday. "I have spoken to a foreign team a few days ago to defer the graduation process. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a two-year extension, setting the country’s official graduation date for Nov 24, 2026. As an LDC, Bangladesh currently enjoys duty-free and quota-free access to European markets, a benefit that will expire once the country exits the category.

Source: bd News24 September 16, 2025 09:50 UTC