Both the European Union (EU) and the Group of 77 and China (G77) have reiterated their commitment to assisting Bangladesh in achieving a seamless, durable, and permanent transition out of the Least Developed Country (LDC) bracket.
These assurances were delivered during two separate discussions at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where Bangladesh’s Commerce Minister, Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, met with Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, the Head of the EU Delegation to the UN and Ambassador Laura Dupuy Lasserre, the Chair of the G77 and China and Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the UN.
The Commerce Minister was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki, Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, and Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury.
The business sector was also represented by Syed Nasim Manzur, President of the Footwear, Leathergoods and Accessories Exporters' Association of Bangladesh (LFMEAB), and Mahmud Hasan Khan, President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
During these high-level sessions, Minister Muktadir laid out the reasoning behind Bangladesh’s appeal for a three-year extension to its LDC graduation preparatory timeline.
He pointed to the nation's current political and economic transition, energy sector difficulties, broader global economic instability, and the necessity of cementing widespread structural adjustments.
The minister reconfirmed the administration's dedicated focus on elevating governance standards, reforming the financial sector, expanding national infrastructure, boosting domestic revenue generation, and creating an increasingly attractive climate for foreign and local investors.
He argued that the requested extra time would allow Bangladesh to solidify its ongoing reforms, overcome current infrastructure bottlenecks, enhance industrial competitiveness, and ultimately ensure that the transition remains stable, successful, and permanent.
In response, Ambassador Lambrinidis commended the Bangladeshi government's focus on sustainable development and robust governance.
He expressed enthusiasm for the newly initiated discussions surrounding a potential Bangladesh-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and reconfirmed the EU's absolute support for Bangladesh's LDC transition.
The EU envoy also pointed out that stronger cooperation between the public and private sectors will be essential to making this developmental transition a success.
Similarly, Ambassador Lasserre agreed that Bangladesh has presented a highly compelling argument for the extension.
She praised the government’s practical and realistic reform targets and pledged the full backing of the G77 coalition.
To further support this path, Lasserre proposed organizing a dedicated briefing session where G77 member countries can learn about Bangladesh's transition blueprint—an invitation that was gladly accepted by the Bangladeshi representatives.
Reflecting on the outcome of the diplomatic rounds, ERD Secretary Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky characterized the dialogue with the European Union representatives as exceptionally fruitful.
He noted that the European bloc has once again solidified its commitment to standing by Bangladesh to guarantee a smooth, resilient, and irreversible departure from its LDC status.
