Bangladesh calls for equitable global financing and a seamless transition from LDC status

Bangladesh has urged immediate global action to bridge the growing financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to establish a fairer, more inclusive international financial system, while also calling for a smooth and sustainable transition from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.

The appeal was made by Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, during the general debate of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Financing for Development Forum 2026 at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday, according to a press release received on Friday.

Chowdhury noted that geopolitical tensions, declining official development assistance, climate shocks, trade barriers, and energy uncertainties are constraining the policy space of developing nations.

Against this backdrop, he said Bangladesh is seeking an extension of its LDC graduation preparatory period to ensure a smooth and sustainable transition. He also highlighted the country’s strides in political and economic recovery, adding that the government is prioritising macroeconomic stability, rebuilding business confidence, strengthening the banking sector, encouraging investment, and expanding direct support for vulnerable populations.

Emphasising the need to ease debt burdens and avoid inefficient infrastructure-related borrowing, he called for channeling foreign direct investment into productive, job-creating sectors, alongside enhanced technology transfer.

Chowdhury further advocated for a more representative global financial system, climate justice, effective measures to address loss and damage, and the repatriation of stolen assets to their rightful owners.