UN letter to Bangladesh, preparation progressed to be informed by October

The UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP) has asked Bangladesh to submit a report on the progress of its preparations for graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category. The deadline for submission has been set for 31 October.

On 25 August, CDP Chair Jose Antonio Ocampo sent a letter to the Bangladesh government requesting the update. Based on the report, a meeting will be held between October and December.

In the letter, Bangladesh was invited to participate in the meeting virtually. The agenda, date, and list of potential participants will be shared in due course.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce is preparing the report on the status of LDC graduation readiness, which, according to sources, will be sent to the CDP within the stipulated time.

However, the government has not yet decided whether to request a deferral of graduation.

The Advisory Council had earlier taken an in-principle decision to graduate from LDC status in its 13 March meeting this year.

Speaking about this, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser (Ministry of Finance) Anisuzzaman Chowdhury told Prothom Alo on Monday night, “Do we have an acceptable reason to delay LDC graduation? Is there any strong justification? We should focus on building a sustainable development framework. The European Union is standardising requirements such as labour and environmental standards for all exporting countries. Therefore, to ensure sustainable development, Bangladesh needs to prioritise reforms in energy, taxation, and logistics.”

Following an eight-year-long process, Bangladesh is set to graduate from LDC status on 24 November 2026. However, business leaders have argued that preparations remain insufficient and are urging a five- to six-year postponement.

Leaders of all major business associations are considering writing to the Chief Adviser to request government intervention.

In this context, the UN CDP’s letter has sought an update on Bangladesh’s preparations. The CDP evaluates which countries are ready for graduation, and such letters were sent not only to Bangladesh but also to all countries in the graduation pipeline, requesting similar progress reports.

Special Assistant Anisuzzaman Chowdhury further noted that these reviews are conducted every November as part of a routine process.

“Such reports help assess the status of countries awaiting graduation. Bangladesh is currently in a better position than Nepal and Laos,” he added.

The CDP’s letter stated that its responsibility is to monitor development progress in graduating and graduated countries. For this purpose, it has been implementing the Enhanced Monitoring Mechanism (EMM) under the Doha Programme of Action. The CDP works to establish an effective link between the EMM and the implementation of the Smooth Transition Strategy (STS) within the national monitoring and evaluation framework.

It also cited UN General Assembly Resolution 67/221, which requires graduating countries to report annually to the CDP on their progress. Countries must submit annual reports for the first three years of STS implementation, followed by one report every three years thereafter.

In line with this, the CDP has asked Bangladesh to submit its annual national report by 31 October.

Bangladeshi economist and CPD Honorary Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya, who is a CDP member, is leading the monitoring of countries under the EMM framework.

He told Prothom Alo, “On 25 August, the CDP Chair wrote to Bangladesh and other countries in the pipeline, asking them to report on their STS implementation progress. A consultation meeting on Bangladesh’s progress may take place in November.”

Debapriya stressed that how Bangladesh presents its case in this report could significantly influence any future request for postponement of graduation. “A deferral decision must be extremely well-considered, backed by strong evidence and political support from international development partners. This process must begin with withdrawing the Advisory Council’s 13 March 2025 decision to graduate,” he added.

There are two conventional ways for a country to postpone its LDC graduation.

First, the head of government can write a letter to the UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP). The letter must explain that the country’s current situation is unpredictable and beyond control, requiring additional time beyond 2026. Upon receiving such a request, the CDP forms a subcommittee to examine the situation based on relevant information and data, and then makes recommendations to the full committee.

This was the path taken by the Solomon Islands, which in February 2023 secured an additional three years. The UN General Assembly later approved the extension in August 2023, setting the Solomon Islands’ graduation for 2027, aided by the support of strategically interested countries such as Australia.

Second, the head of government can write directly to the UN Secretary-General requesting a postponement. The issue would then be presented to the UN General Assembly for consideration. For instance, in December 2023, Angola’s graduation was postponed indefinitely after a collapse in global oil prices caused all its indicators to fall. In such cases, support from influential member states is essential. Portugal played a pivotal role in backing Angola’s request.

Bangladesh has been on the LDC list since 1975. Graduation is determined by three criteria: per capita income, human assets, and economic and environmental vulnerability. Bangladesh met all three criteria in the 2018 and 2021 reviews. In 2021, the country received a final recommendation to graduate in 2024.

However, due to Covid-19 disruptions, graduation was delayed by two years to allow more preparation. If Bangladesh graduates as planned, it will become the first country to exit LDC status by fulfilling all three criteria simultaneously.