The LDC Graduation Committee has identified five critical actions that must be urgently completed to keep Bangladesh on course for a smooth and timely transition from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.

The measures, agreed during a high-level meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna, reflect a renewed focus on institutional readiness, regulatory reform and infrastructure delivery.

At the top of the list is the full operationalisation of the National Single Window, a digital platform designed to streamline cross-border trade by enabling all relevant agencies to process documentation through a unified system.

The second priority is the implementation of the National Tariff Policy, 2023, through a clear and time-bound action plan.

Third, the committee underscored the need to accelerate execution of the National Logistics Policy, 2024.

This includes fast-tracking infrastructure projects that improve connectivity, reduce the cost of doing business, and enhance the efficiency of supply chains—critical factors in sustaining export growth and attracting foreign investment.

The fourth item concerns the long-delayed Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) at the Savar Tannery Village.

Ensuring its operational readiness has become a pressing issue, not only for meeting compliance standards in global leather markets, but also for safeguarding environmental and public health standards domestically.

Finally, the committee called for the full-scale operation of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Park in Gajaria, Munshiganj.

Emphasising the importance of institutional readiness, chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday called for urgent and coordinated action by all relevant agencies to ensure Bangladesh’s smooth and timely graduation from LDC status.

‘This whole thing is about coordination,’ said the chief adviser.

‘We already have the attention and support of investors, funders, and development partners. Now, we must build on the efforts already underway and intensify our collective action to move forward with speed and purpose,’ he said.

The chief adviser said that they should act like firefighters—responding quickly and staying on the task until it is finished.

He also said that his office would be closely involved in the process and that the government’s top office would personally monitor the progress of all activities related to LDC graduation.

These aren’t just routine tasks—we need to see them as key steps, each one helps clear the way for our graduation and builds a stronger, fairer economy for everyone,’ the chief adviser added.

Finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, chief adviser’s special assistant Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, chief adviser’s special envoy for international affairs Lutfey Siddiqi, attended the meeting, alongside members of the LDC Graduation Committee and policy advisers.