Core Group Appraises Bangladesh’s Graduation Progress

The 13th meeting of the core group constituted for conducting discussion on assessments related to the LDC graduation of Bangladesh took place on 15 November 2020.
Project Director of SSGP and Wing Chief of the Development Effectiveness wing of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) Mr. Farid Aziz chaired the meeting.
The meeting appraised various initiatives taken by the government to ensure a smooth and sustainable LDC graduation for the country.
It also analysed an action matrix that had been prepared by the SSGP– featuring the major areas or issues regarding graduation, key policy goals and major actions or interventions that need to be initiated in light of the graduation process of the country.
Members of the core group also provided necessary recommendations for expediting Bangladesh’s preparation for the triennial review of the Committee for Development Policy of the United Nations scheduled to take place in February 2021.
Bangladesh is expected to meet all three criteria for graduating from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status during that triennial review.
The country met the LDC graduation criteria for the first time back in March 2018. Against the backdrop, the government formed a National Task Force under the leadership of the Prime Minister’s Office for steering and guiding the process of sustainable graduation in the country.
A core group was also subsequently established comprising representatives from various relevant ministries to guide and review various impact assessments and other research and analytical works on sustainable graduation.
Senior officials from ERD, GED, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Foreign Affairs are members of this core group. In addition, representatives from the relevant private sector bodies are now becoming part of this core group.