REFAYET ULLAH MIRDHA

Bangladesh should view its LDC exit not as a burden but as a milestone, an opportunity to advance long-delayed reforms for structural transformation of the economy, economist Debapriya Bhattacharya has said.

Asked what options Bangladesh has if it wants more time, Debapriya told The Daily Star in a recent interview that there are “two and a half” routes.

Debapriya, distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), is an independent expert serving on the UN CDP. He is also the country rapporteur for Lao PDR.

This newspaper spoke to him amid local entrepreneurs’ fear that their businesses will be severely affected as Bangladesh prepares to graduate from the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) group in November 2026.

A group of businessmen is preparing to send letters to the chief adviser and the UN secretary-general, requesting

SEE PAGE 5 COL 1