Bangladesh’s elevation from LDC status not before 2024: CPD

Bangladesh will not be able to graduate from its least-developed country (LDC) status before 2024, said Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) today.

The think-tank said the nation has a good chance to be in the list of eligible countries for the gradation from LDC by 2018 if it meets the minimum of two out of three indices criteria set by the United Nations.

For this, Bangladesh will have to maintain a per capita Gross National Income (GNI) growth and make further strides to reduce undernourishment and mortality among mothers and children, increase secondary school enrollment ratio and adult literacy rate.

After meeting the criteria, Bangladesh will be included in the list of graduation countries from LDC and its achievement and progress will be under observation for the next six years in two phases-- three years each between 2018 and 2024.

"We will be able to come out from the LDC list by then if there is no change," said CPD Distinguished Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya at press briefing at CIRDAP auditorium.

CPD organsied the meet to unveil the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)'s Least Developed Countries (LDC) Report 2015.

Launched globally today, the latest LDC report said rural development is the key to meet post 2015 development agendas in the LDC.