Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Dr. Anisuzzaman Chowdhury today attended the "Local Level Stakeholders Consultation on Inclusive, Smooth and Sustainable LDC Graduation" in Mymensingh. Photo: ERD

DHAKA, June 24, 2025 (BSS) - Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Dr. Anisuzzaman Chowdhury has said that Bangladesh must attain economic self-reliance to make LDC graduation sustainable.

The Special Assistant made this remark while attending the "Local Level Stakeholders Consultation on Inclusive, Smooth and Sustainable LDC Graduation" held in Mymensingh today. 

Support to Sustainable Graduation Project (SSGP) of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) organised the event in collaboration with the Mymensingh district administration. 

Divisional Commissioner of Mymensingh Md. Mokhtar Ahmed attended the event as special guest. Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh Mofidul Alam chaired the workshop, said a press release. 

Speaking on the occasion, the Special Assistant put emphasis on ensuring national unity and solidarity for enhancing the economic progress.

Divisional Commissioner of Mymensingh Md. Mokhtar Ahmed recalled that the private sector of Bangladesh had gained adequate capacity and confidence by aptly dealing with numerous challenges over the years. 

He was optimistic that Bangladesh would also be able to cope with the LDC graduation-related challenges by capitalizing that capacity and confidence. 

Reflecting on the growth potentials of agriculture and other industries in Mymensingh, Chair of the event Mofidul Alam put emphasis on technological upgradation, quality control, branding and integration with the supply chain. 

Additional Secretary of ERD and the Project Director of SSGP A. H. M. Jahangir delivered the welcome remarks.

Jahangir emphasized on sensitizing the local private sector representatives, especially the export-oriented industries about the opportunities to be created by LDC graduation of the country. 

Former Additional Secretary to the government and Component Manager of SSGP Dr. Md. Rezaul Bashar Siddique delivered a presentation providing an overview of LDC Graduation process and its implications. 

Former Member of Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission and Component Manager of SSGP Dr. Mostafa Abid Khan delivered a presentation on 'Strategies for Smooth and Sustainable Graduation, and the Role of Local Level Stakeholders'. 

Former Additional Secretary and International Trade Expert of SSGP Nesar Ahmed, Principal of Muminunnisa Govt. Mohila College Professor Dr. Maleka Bilkis, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) of Mymensingh Reza Md. Golam Masum Prodhan, General Secretary of Mymensingh Press Club Shaiful Islam and eminent business Leader AKM Mahbubul Alam spoke as panelists. 

Speakers at the workshop called for establishing high speed railway connectivity between Dhaka and Mymensingh, improving the quality of technical and vocational education as well as diversification of export items and destinations. 

Highlighting the untapped potentials of agriculture in Mymensingh, discussants also put emphasis on ensuring fair prices for the farmers for their commodities, guaranteeing equitable access to proper preservation techniques, arranging training schemes for farmers and integrating them with the agricultural value chain. 

It is notable that Bangladesh met all the criteria for graduation from the LDC status during the triennial review of the Committee for Development Policy (CDP) of the United Nations back in 2018 and 2021. 

The country is set to leave the list of LDCs by 2026 after enjoying a preparatory period of five years. The Government of Bangladesh is attaching highest priority to ensure smooth and sustainable graduation with momentum. 

The country has also formulated a Smooth Transition Strategy (STS) in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders. 

The ERD has undertaken a project called "Support to Sustainable Graduation Project (SSGP)" to identify the impacts of graduation, to provide necessary capacity-building supports and other necessary supports to the relevant ministries as well as to promulgate this historic achievement at home and abroad by producing various research papers and publications related to graduation.

In this context, ERD, with support from SSGP, has been organizing a series of workshops at the local level to sensitize the grassroots level stakeholders regarding the process and opportunities of LDC graduation as well as to discuss on how the local level stakeholders can be involved in the process of ensuring smooth and sustainable LDC graduation. 

Officials from ERD and SSGP, officials from the district administration as well as representatives from the private sector and civil society organizations participated in the workshop.