A high-level review meeting on the country's preparation to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status to a developing country was held today with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in the chair.

The meeting was held at the Chief Adviser's Office (CAO) in Tejgaon here, Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said.

The progress of implementing 16 decisions was discussed during the meeting. Of those, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) is working on four decisions, while the Ministry of Industries on three, the Economic Relations Department on two, the Ministry of Commerce on three, and the Chief Adviser's Office on four decisions.

At the meeting, NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan said the NBR is working for the full implementation of the National Single Window. 

Some 19 bodies have already been added to the window and more entities are being included, he said. 

In addition, the NBR chief informed the Chief Adviser about the preparation of the implementation work-plan for the Tariff Policy 2023 and the progress of its implementation.

The meeting discussed providing necessary cooperation and incentives to other export sectors like the ready-made garment industry and providing duty-free facilities for the import of raw materials related to man-made fibers and machineries for this industry.

The full operation of the Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) established in Tanari Village in Savar, the full-scale launch of the API Park in Gazaria, Munshiganj, and the measures taken to update the industrial policy 2022 were also discussed during the meeting. 

Speaking at the meeting, Chief Adviser Prof Yunus said the country's leather industry was not evaluated properly. 

"We were supposed to benefit economically from this industry, but that did not happen," he said. 

The Chief Adviser directed the authorities concerned to organise a separate meeting on what to do to resolve the crisis in the leather industry.

Besides, he ordered to arrange another meeting within the next two months on finding ways for Bangladesh's transition from LDC to a developing country. 

"We have to do these things in our own interest, in the interest of our economy. We have to find ways to move forward by changing the policies and laws that are not working. These are fundamental issues. We have to do these things for our transition," Prof Yunus said. 

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, Industries Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Shipping Adviser M Sakhawat Hossain, Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum, Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid, Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser M Siraz Uddin Miah, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur and secretaries of different ministries were also present at the meeting.