Bangladesh has formed a 16-member high-level inter-ministerial committee to review and enhance export capacity in four promising sectors as part of its preparation for formal exist from the LDCs in November 2026.
The committee will be led by the Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser’s Office, according to a gazette issued by the Monitoring Cell of the Finance Division recently.
Once Bangladesh exits the LDC category on November 24, 2026, it will no longer be eligible to provide export subsidies or cash assistance under existing WTO rules.
This upcoming shift has prompted the government to identify sectors with strong export potential and take proactive steps to ensure continued competitiveness.
The four focus sectors are leather and leather goods, jute and jute products, agricultural and processed agricultural products, and pharmaceuticals.
The committee’s mandate includes evaluating existing recommendations from a previously submitted report and determining which government-backed benefits can feasibly be provided post-graduation.
It will also prepare a time-bound action plan and oversee its implementation across the relevant ministries and agencies.
Key responsibilities of the committee include: Identifying feasible benefits for the selected sectors based on prior recommendations and government capacity and developing and overseeing a time-bound roadmap to deliver those benefits.
It will monitor and evaluate the progress of relevant ministries and agencies to ensure timely implementation alongside recommending additional support measures based on changing realities and sector-specific needs.
Members of the high-level committee include top officials from the Bangladesh Bank, the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industries, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Textiles and Jute, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA), Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI). The Director General of the Chief Adviser’s Office will serve as the committee’s member secretary.If required, it will be able to co-opt additional members, according to the Ministry of Finance.