Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury made remarks after a National Multi-stakeholder Consultation organized by the ERD in collaboration with UN-OHRLLS and the UN Resident Coordinator's Office at the NEC Conference Room in the city. Photo: PID

DHAKA, April 5, 2026 (BSS) - Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury today observed that Bangladesh's current readiness for Least Developed Country (LDC) graduation is incomplete, necessitating a strategic three-year window. 

"A realistic transition requires urgent capacity building," he made these remarks after a National Multi-stakeholder Consultation organized by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) in collaboration with UN-OHRLLS and the UN Resident Coordinator's Office at the NEC Conference Room in the city. 

The Finance Minister characterized the current economic landscape as a complex environment where the government is forced to operate in a firefighting mode to manage daily crises.

He noted that the administration is currently engaged in a critical salvage effort to rescue an economy where almost all major indicators are trending downward.

The Minister mentioned that the national treasury is currently facing several immediate challenges, including a focus on daily crisis management over long-term development, negative economic indicators, and continuous financial bleeding caused by heavy energy subsidies and high import dependency, alongside rising debt burdens and systemic weaknesses in financial management.

He observed that while energy prices have doubled in the United States and risen sharply in Sri Lanka, the Bangladesh government is currently attempting to keep prices relatively controlled.

However, he cautioned that the state cannot sustain this fiscal pressure indefinitely.

The Minister asserted that these principles provide the necessary framework for a transparent and resilient economic base.

He said that the national economic recovery strategy focuses on the three core pillars of capacity building for indigenous growth, policy alignment with BNP manifesto principles to create a financial foundation, and achieving economic stability through a transition to long-term sustainable health.

The Minister emphasized that LDC graduation is not a fixed certainty but must be contingent upon economic health.

The government intends to utilize the available extension or suspension period-estimated at approximately three years-to ensure the nation is truly prepared for the transition, he added.

"The plan is to strengthen fundamental economic indicators within this window of approximately three years. Only through the successful implementation of necessary reforms, skill development, and the achievement of genuine economic stability during this period will LDC graduation become a realistic and sustainable goal for the future," he noted.

He reiterated that as an elected body, the government's primary responsibility is to protect the public from sudden financial shocks. 

He stressed that while the government is working to shield citizens from immediate inflationary pressure, it must take decisive, calculated steps to stop the bleeding of public funds to ensure the nation's long-term financial survival.