The Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) on Thursday organised a high-level roundtable titled “Strengthening Bangladesh’s Institutional Capacity for a Smooth LDC Graduation: Priorities, Sequencing, and Strategies to Avoid the Middle-Income Trap,” at a hotel in Dhaka. The discussion brought together development partners, diplomatic missions, economists, private sector representatives, and sectoral experts to identify practical and coordinated measures to safeguard competitiveness and strengthen long-term resilience.

This roundtable aims to foster a focused policy conversation on how international cooperation, particularly from foreign missions and development agencies, can support Bangladesh in addressing institutional gaps, realigning assistance frameworks, and building long-term resilience in the post-graduation landscape.

Dr. Selim Raihan, Professor, Department of Economics, University of Dhaka and Executive Director, South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM); Syed Nasim Manzur, Industrialist, Managing Director, Apex Footwear Limited; Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD); Mohammed Parvez Imdad, Consultant & Policy Advisor; Nazmus Sadat Khan, Senior Economist, World Bank; Anowarul Haq, Assistant Resident Representative, Democratic Governance Portfolio, UNDP; Barun Kumar Dey, Senior Economic Officer, ADB; Michael Kim McQuay, Chief Strategy and Legal Advisor, The Asia Foundation; Kazi Faisal Bin Seraj, Country Representative, The Asia Foundation; Baiba Zarina, deputy head of mission, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh; Zillur Rahman, President, Centre for Governance Studies; and Parvez Karim Abbasi, Executive Director, Centre for Governance Studies, spoke at the event.

CGS Executive Director Parvez Karim Abbasi moderated the discussion.

Participants explored key priorities for aligning external support with national strategies, focusing on competitiveness, industrial upgrading, and export diversification. The discussion also identified sectors that would require continued development cooperation after LDC-specific benefits are phased out and explored how development partners can better coordinate with government agencies to maximize impact.

Private sector representatives highlighted the need for targeted reforms and support to strengthen capacity for sustainable growth post-LDC graduation. Foreign development partners and diplomatic missions shared plans to adjust cooperation frameworks, financial assistance strategies, and advocacy initiatives, addressing challenges such as the loss of trade preferences and higher financing costs.

The session featured facilitated exchanges, short interventions, and open discussions, during which participants shared concluding observations, identified priority action points, and explored partnership opportunities. Discussions underscored the importance of stronger institutional coordination, clearer reform sequencing, and alignment between national priorities and external support mechanisms.

The roundtable concluded with summarizing key insights and providing recommendations, including the preparation of a policy brief based on the discussion. The event is part of CGS’s broader effort to provide evidence-based analysis and policy dialogue to support Bangladesh’s smooth and sustainable LDC graduation.