The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has approved Bangladesh's request for a three-year extension of its preparatory period for graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category, moving the deadline from 24 November 2026, The Business Standard (TBS) reported. The decision was adopted on Thursday, following a proposal introduced by Uruguay on behalf of Bangladesh.
Source: The Business Standard
This is the result of the process Awaaz Punjab reported on Thursday morning, when the Uruguay-tabled resolution — backed by 77 nations and China — went before the General Assembly seeking exactly this extension for Bangladesh and Nepal. Read the earlier report
The resolution said the assembly decides, on an exceptional basis, to extend by an additional period of three years, until 24 November 2029, the preparatory period for Bangladesh before graduation from the least developed country category occurs, TBS reported. It also urged Bangladesh to advance reforms, implement its smooth transition strategy with international support and report progress annually to the Committee for Development Policy. Chaired by President of the UNGA Khalilur Rahman, the 81st session also approved Nepal's request for a three-year extension of its preparatory period.
Source: The Business Standard
Yaani: both countries were due to lose their LDC trade cushion — duty-free market access and other LDC-linked support — on 24 November 2026. That date has now moved three full years, to 24 November 2029. A 2025 analysis by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) cited by TBS estimated Bangladesh's total exports could decline by around 32 per cent if it loses the relevant trade preferences — an estimate of potential impact, not a guaranteed outcome.
How the request reached the Assembly
The government formally requested the extension from the UN Committee for Development Policy (UN-CDP) on 18 February, citing uncertainty in the global economy, geopolitical tensions, changes in international trade, energy and supply chain risks, and domestic economic challenges, TBS said. The UN-CDP subsequently recommended that the request be favourably considered, while the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) recommended on 21 July that the General Assembly take a decision. The Times of Bangladesh, in its reporting of the proposal going before the Assembly, said the draft resolution cited disruptions to global energy supplies and trade flows caused by conflicts, lingering economic shocks and uncertainty in international commerce.
Source: Times of Bangladesh
Exporters welcome it, economists warn time alone is not enough
Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told TBS exporters had long advocated additional preparation time and described the UN decision as good news for the export sector, adding the country must use the period to improve infrastructure and logistics and pursue free trade agreements where necessary. Fahmida Khatun, distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue, told TBS that simply extending the transition period will not make the economy more competitive: "Effective reforms are needed in trade, revenue collection, banking and infrastructure," she said. Mustafa Abid Khan, chief executive officer of the Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute, told TBS the extension could create an important opportunity, particularly in intellectual property and trade negotiations.
Source: The Business Standard
Bangladesh was included in the UN's LDC category in December 1975 and met the UN's three graduation criteria — gross national income per capita, the human assets index, and the economic and environmental vulnerability index — in consecutive reviews in 2018 and 2021, TBS reported. On 26 February 2021 the UN-CDP recommended graduation, ECOSOC endorsed it on 8 June, and the General Assembly agreed to the transition on 24 November that year, granting a five-year preparatory period rather than the usual three because of the Covid-19 pandemic — which is why graduation had been scheduled for 24 November 2026.