UN’s CDP reviews Bangladesh’s request to postpone LDC graduation

Staff Report, PNN

The United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP) has formally begun reviewing Bangladesh’s request to extend the graduation timeline from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) list by three years. A few more weeks may be required to announce the final decision, according to sources.

Debapriya Bhattacharya, CDP member and Special Fellow at the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), confirmed the information during the committee meeting in New York. He currently serves as head of the CDP’s Enhanced Monitoring Mechanism (EMM) subcommittee.

Bhattacharya explained that under the EMM framework, there is a special provision called the “crisis button,” which applies only to situations that are abnormal or beyond control. Bangladesh’s request to extend the graduation timeline falls under this special provision. The committee will now verify whether the country’s current economic and institutional situation truly constitutes such a special circumstance justifying an extension.

He added that after the CDP issues its preliminary opinion, the matter will be presented to the UN ECOSOC. Upon approval, it will go to the UN General Assembly for a final decision. This means the entire process will pass through multiple stages before completion.

Bangladesh passed the triennial assessment in 2018 and 2021 based on per capita income, human resource development, and economic vulnerability, qualifying it for graduation. Originally, Bangladesh was expected to graduate from the LDC list in 2024, but considering the impact of COVID-19, the timeline was extended by two years to 2026.

After coming to power, the current government applied for an additional three-year extension. This move has sparked renewed discussion internationally about Bangladesh’s economic readiness, export capacity, and competitiveness in the global market. Attention is now focused on the CDP’s review and the subsequent decision.