The government is set to adopt a new five-year action plan to strengthen Bangladesh’s trade capacity, improve the investment climate and enhance competitiveness in international markets as the country prepares for graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category.
The initiative will be implemented through the Country Programme Document (CPD) prepared for the third phase of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), a World Trade Organization (WTO)-led programme that supports trade capacity development in LDCs.
The announcement came at a validation workshop on the Country Programme Document held at the Ministry of Commerce in Dhaka on Sunday.
Speaking at the event, Commerce Secretary Ataur Rahman Khan said Bangladesh is passing through a critical phase, facing the dual challenge of preparing for LDC graduation while addressing non-tariff barriers, international compliance requirements and the need to improve the country’s investment environment.
“The recommendations made under the previous phases of the EIF have been duly reflected in the Country Programme Document,” he said.
“The document includes 12 priority interventions, each aligned with Bangladesh’s trade capacity development needs and the reforms required to strengthen the country’s competitiveness.”
The commerce secretary stressed that preparing policies and research reports alone would not be sufficient unless they were effectively implemented.
“Alongside studies, the document must provide clear guidance on how the proposed reforms can be translated into action. The benefits of these reforms should reach ministries, departments and implementing agencies at the grassroots level,” he added.
He also emphasised the importance of improving Bangladesh’s business environment through trade facilitation, trade liberalisation, legal and regulatory reforms, and coordinated actions among relevant ministries and agencies.
Additional Secretary (WTO) at the Ministry of Commerce Khadija Nazneen said the EIF programme provides technical and financial support to LDCs to strengthen their trade capacity. The programme is financed by development partners, including the United Kingdom, the European Union and Sweden. She said Bangladesh completed the first phase of the programme between 2009 and 2015 and the second phase between 2016 and 2024.
“The third phase will now begin, and Bangladesh will receive financial assistance based on the Country Programme Document prepared for this phase,” she said, adding that the five-year programme is expected to commence later this year.
Former Additional Secretary and EIF consultant Md Hafizur Rahman said the Country Programme Document had been prepared by incorporating existing national policies, strategies and recommendations from previous studies, including the Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS), the Export Policy, Industrial Policy, Trade Policy, the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and investment facilitation initiatives.
“Initially, around 52 potential projects were identified. After assessing implementation capacity and the likely support from development partners, these were prioritised and narrowed down to 12 key interventions,” he said.
The proposed activities include strengthening export competitiveness, trade facilitation, improving the investment climate, enhancing institutional capacity, training and research, as well as promoting the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
The workshop was attended by Additional Secretary (FTA) Ayesha Akter, Additional Secretary (IIT) Shibir Bichitra Barua, and representatives from various ministries, government agencies and other stakeholders.
Participants expressed hope that successful implementation of the EIF’s third phase would help Bangladesh maintain its competitiveness in global trade and attract new investment after graduating from the LDC category.
