Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday (May 27) urged Japan and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to continue preferential facilities at least till 2029 for Bangladesh’s smooth graduation from least developed country to developing nation and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
“We would deeply appreciate if Japan and other OECD countries do it (to extend preferential facilities) at least till 2029 to help us attain the overarching goals of sustainable development by 2030,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this in a video statement aired in the 27th International Nikkei Conference on the Future of Asia.
The two-day conference titled “Redefining Asia’s role in a divided world” is being held in the Japanese capital Tokyo in a hybrid format with both streaming and on-site attendance.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh has attained the United Nations recognition for graduating from a Least Developed Country to a developing nation in 2026.
“We are already taking various measures for a smooth graduation,” she added.
She said Bangladesh has urged its friends and partners through the UN mechanism to consider extending preferential facilities to Bangladesh for an extended period beyond 2026.
“Bangladesh is at different stages of negotiations on FTA with several countries, and opens to negotiating FTA and CEPA with other countries, including Japan,” she said.
The Prime Minister reminded the conference that Bangladesh is hosting 1.1 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar and they must be sent back to their homeland in the Rakhine State of Myanmar in safety, security, and dignity.
“We request you all to contribute and help us find an amicable settlement of this crisis,” she said.
Describing Asia as the largest and the most populous continent of the world hosting about 60 percent of the world’s population, she said that it is also the home of most of the poor people of the world.
