The United Nations has agreed to support an independent readiness assessment for Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, following a formal request from the country’s interim government.
UN Under-Secretary-General Rabab Fatima reaffirmed the organization’s commitment during a meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus in New York on Monday.
“We are fully committed to ensuring a smooth and sustainable graduation for Bangladesh,” Fatima said, announcing that her office will facilitate the assessment process.
Fatima, who also serves as the UN High Representative for LDCs, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, praised Bangladesh’s continued support to the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries (UNOHRLLS).
“I am honored to meet Chief Adviser Prof Yunus,” she added.
The meeting was attended by SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, and Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury.
According to Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, the readiness assessment will begin within a month and conclude by mid-January.
It will be jointly conducted by an international consultant and a Bangladeshi expert to ensure a balanced and comprehensive evaluation.
The process will include consultations with a wide range of stakeholders—government officials, business leaders, development experts, civil society representatives, donors, financial institutions, and political actors—to assess whether Bangladesh is adequately prepared for the transition.
Prof Yunus welcomed the initiative, stressing the importance of data-driven decision-making.
“It has become an emotional issue,” he said, urging reliance on empirical evidence before proceeding with graduation.
Fatima acknowledged that the UN’s latest economic data on Bangladesh is over two years old.
“A lot has changed since then,” she noted, underscoring the need for updated analysis to guide policy.
Prof Yunus also raised concerns about the future of Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry, which has benefited from trade preferences linked to its LDC status.
He cautioned that without proper transition measures, the sector could face significant challenges post-graduation.
Fatima, the highest-ranking Bangladeshi-origin official in the UN system since her appointment in 2022, also shared insights from her career.
Prof Yunus expressed interest in exploring pathways for Bangladeshi civil servants to engage with UN bodies, aiming to deepen the country’s institutional ties with the global system.
