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Published : 24 Sep 2025, 03:16 AM
Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has sought full cooperation from the World Trade Organization (WTO) to ensure Bangladesh’s smooth graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category.
His office said in a statement that WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in turn, sought Yunus’s “leadership” in advancing her organisation’s reform agenda.
Okonjo-Iweala met Yunus at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
During the meeting, Yunus expressed hope that the WTO chief would play an active role at the organisation’s upcoming ministerial conference to secure supportive and meaningful outcomes for countries on the path to LDC graduation.
He particularly stressed that it is urgent to take measures to shield countries from the potential adverse effects of the withdrawal of trade preferences or preferential market access in advanced economies.
The WTO chief assured him of her full support.
Bangladesh is scheduled to graduate from the LDC group at the end of 2026.
According to the statement, the talks also covered long-anticipated WTO reforms and current global trade challenges, amid growing concerns over protectionism and a possible retreat from globalisation.
In response, Okonjo-Iweala emphasised that despite widespread concerns, global trade remains resilient, with approximately 75 percent of world trade still governed by WTO rules.
She sought Bangladesh’s “active participation and leadership” in advancing the reform process, telling Yunus: "The WTO must reform. I need your active engagement. I want your leadership here.”
Yunus, the press note said, agreed on the need for reforms, saying the WTO must adapt to effectively lead in a rapidly changing global trade environment.
"It is time to take up the challenge," he said, adding that Bangladesh is prepared to raise its voice in support of meaningful change.
