Dhaka, May 17 -- Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir has emphasised the necessity of maintaining the competitive edge of the ready-made garments (RMG) sector after Bangladesh officially graduates from the least developed country (LDC) bracket.

He also underscored ensuring preferential access to international markets as "extremely important" during a meeting with New Zealand's non-resident High Commissioner David Pine at the Secretariat on Sunday, the ministry said.

It said in a statement that New Zealand expressed interest in continuing duty-free and preferential market access even after Bangladesh's graduation to a developing country, while also seeking to expand bilateral trade and investment.

The meeting also discussed the ef...