Bangladesh will likely be recommended for graduation from the category of the least developed countries in 2018, and will come out of the LDC group in 2024, the Centre for Policy Dialogue said in a statement yesterday.

The issue is high on the government's agenda. The CPD organised a discussion with government officials on Bangladesh's LDC graduation strategy, at Brac Centre Inn in Dhaka on January 22.

Twenty-seven government officials from the key ministries, agencies and training institutes participated in the event, according to the statement.

To initiate the discussion, CPD made a presentation -- “Graduation from the least developed country category: Is Bangladesh ready for a smooth transition?”

The discussions were focused on structural transformation, sustainable development goals, external challenges facing the economy, international support measures, and the advantages and disadvantages that will emanate from the graduation.

Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of CPD; Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow; Anisatul Fatema Yousuf, director for dialogue and communication; Fahmida Khatun, research director; Khondaker Golam Moazzem, additional research director, and Towfiqul Islam Khan, research fellow, attended the event.