LDC graduation is a significant milestone in the developmental journey of Bangladesh. While Bangladesh is preparing for this landmark transition, there is a need to make appropriate preparations for this anticipated transition. The SDG Platform strongly feel that this transition is aligned with the SDG objectives of inclusivity and the spirit of LNOB. To date, the LDC graduation strategies have focused mainly on production, market access, preference erosion and trade. As is well-known, it needs to be appreciated NGOs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have been playing a pivotal role in supporting Bangladesh’s development. Regrettably, the impact of LDC graduation on financing these organisations and their future roles in post-LDC Bangladesh have hardly been discussed and documented. To discuss the opportunities and challenges facing these organisations and to come up with possible solutions, the Citizen’s Platform, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Bangladesh and United Nations Environment Program Poverty-Environment Action, organised a policy dialogue titled ‘Role of CSOs and NGOs in LDC Graduation of Bangladesh: Opportunities & Challenges’ on 19 October 2022 (the dialogue was in hybrid format). The distinctive feature of this dialogue was that it was envisaged to be an opportunity to blend two streams of issues because of LDC graduation of Bangladesh: alignment of LDC graduation with SDG aspiration and combination of CSOs in LDC graduation. The dialogue was attended by CSOs and private development organisations from and outside Dhaka. Citizen’s Platform’s partner organisations, international development partners (IDP), public and private sector representatives, and journalists also attented the dialogue.

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