UN Under-Secretary-General Rabab Fatima has said her office will back an independent readiness assessment for Bangladesh’s graduation from LDC status, following the interim government’s request. She announced it Monday in New York during a meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
The study will begin within a month and finish by mid-January, carried out by an international consultant and a Bangladeshi expert. It will involve consultations with government, business chambers, civil society, donors, financial institutions, and political representatives.
Yunus welcomed the move, calling for data-driven decisions. “It has become an emotional issue,” he said. Fatima noted UN economic data on Bangladesh is over two years old, adding, “A lot has changed since then.”
Yunus raised concerns about the pharmaceutical sector, which relies on LDC trade preferences, warning of risks without transition measures.
Fatima, the highest-ranked Bangladeshi UN official since 2022, also discussed UN career opportunities for Bangladeshi civil servants.
The meeting included SDG Coordinator Lamiya Morshed, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, and Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury. Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said the review is crucial to assess Bangladesh’s readiness, with work starting within a month and ending in January.
