CA Stresses Achieving Self-Sufficiency Over Graduation from LDC

Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday emphasized prioritizing self-sufficiency over merely graduating from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status.

“We must be clear that we can no longer remain dependent on others. We have to become self-reliant. Since we are still dependent, our focus should be on overcoming it as soon as possible. There is no other option,” he said.

Prof. Yunus made the remarks while presiding over a meeting of the National Steering Committee, formed to implement and monitor Bangladesh’s smooth and sustainable transition strategy from LDC status, held at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka.

Later, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam briefed the media at the Foreign Service Academy about the meeting’s details.

Highlighting the importance of a self-reliant Bangladesh, Prof. Yunus said, “To achieve this, we must change our habits. Self-reliance requires intellect, hard work, and struggle. Though the path may be challenging, there is joy in the effort. When we talk about a new Bangladesh, we mean a self-reliant Bangladesh.”

He added that the nation possesses the capability to stand independently, noting, “Our youth and creativity are our strength. We have both the power and the opportunity—we must utilize them. We must build a self-reliant economy to free the nation from dependency. We do not want to live in servitude.”

The meeting was attended by Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin, Industries Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Home Adviser Lt General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser M Siraz Uddin Miah, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur, NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan, Special Envoy on International Affairs to the Chief Adviser Lutfey Siddiqi, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications and ICT Ministry Faiz Taiyeb Ahmad, Principal Coordinator for SDGs Lamiya Morshed, and senior officials of the Economic Relations Division.

Representatives from the private sector, including BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan, FBCCI President Mahbubul Alam, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Taskin Ahmed, and Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries President Abdul Muktadir, were also present.