Dhaka, Aug. 25 -- Leading business chambers and trade associations urged the government to seek a five- to six-year extension of the timeline for Bangladesh's LDC graduation, emphasising that additional time is crucial to cushioning the economy against the shocks to follow the withdrawal of preferential trade benefits and concessional financing.

At a joint press briefing held Sunday at InterContinental Dhaka, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman read out a statement stressing that while graduation from the least-developed country (LDC) category represents a significant national milestone, a hasty transition could undermine industrial competitiveness, destabilise the financial system, and expose vul...