File photo

DHAKA, Aug 13, 2025 (BSS) – Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter today said that although Bangladesh is on the path to graduating from a Least Developed Country (LDC) to a developing nation, the move was inherited as a political decision from the previous government.

She also said that the GDP, per capita income, maternal health, and other social indicators published during the Awami League government did not align with reality. In truth, Bangladesh is not yet fully prepared for this transition, she added.

The adviser was speaking at a dialogue titled “Bangladesh’s Future as a Developing Country and the Need for Cautious Reconsideration of Bilateral Free Trade Agreements”, organized by Nagorik Uddyog and People’s Health Movement at the Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB), said a press release. 

She said that while statistical indicators suggest graduation from LDC status, implementation remains challenging. Bangladesh is set to officially attain developing country status in November 2026, and the interim government has to prepare accordingly, she said.

Farida Akhter stressed the importance of assessing the impact of increase and decrease of benefit in tariff and GSP in the post-LDC graduation. She warned that Bangladesh will face various challenges in global competition.

The adviser also cautioned that importing low-cost beef from abroad could harm the domestic livestock market, affecting millions of farmers, especially poor women entrepreneurs who rear cattle.

“We are trying to reduce meat imports,” she said, adding that “Because imported meat carries the risk of introducing Zoonotic diseases.”

The adviser highlighted the export potential of seaweed and Swamp eel, laying the importance on reducing imports and enhancing domestic production capacity.

Other speakers at the event included economist Professor Anu Muhammad, Geneva-based legal adviser of Third World Network and senior researcher Sanya Reid Smith, public health expert Dr. Zahed Masud, and advocate Taslima Jahan. 

The keynote paper was presented by Barakat Ullah Maruf, coordinator of Nagorik Uddyog.