Bangladesh is scheduled to graduate from the LDC category to developing-nation status on November 24 this year, having already met all three UN criteria—income, human assets and economic and environmental vulnerability.

Bangladesh will seek to defer graduation from the least developed country status by at least three years as per the party’s policy position, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said.
The Economic Relations Division will lead the process, while the commerce ministry will formally initiate the procedure.
Domestic businesses had been lobbying the last interim government for such a deferral.

The Economic Relations Division (ERD) will lead the process, while the commerce ministry will formally initiate the procedure, he said.

The country’s businesses had been lobbying the last interim government for such a deferral.

Sixteen major business chambers and trade bodies had sent a letter to the interim government requesting LDC graduation be postponed for at least six years, citing high interest rates and the economic challenges faced by various sectors due to the fallouts of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

Macron was on an official visit to India from February 17 to 19 to participate in the Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit 2026.

Indian PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron have welcomed a sustained growth in bilateral trade and agreed to elevate relations to a ‘special global strategic partnership’ to guide bilateral cooperation in the coming decades.
They established an annual Foreign Ministers Comprehensive Dialogue for reviewing bilateral cooperation and implementation of the elevated partnership.

Both leaders jointly inaugurated the 2026 India-France Year of Innovation in Mumbai.

They established an annual Foreign Ministers Comprehensive Dialogue for regularly reviewing the progress of bilateral cooperation and implementation of the elevated partnership, a joint statement issued after the visit said.

Both countries are cooperating on building trusted, reliable and resilient supply chains, as well as safeguarding their economic security.

The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), recognising its transformational potential in reshaping and promoting global trade, connectivity and prosperity.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

The Ludhiana yarn market witnessed steadiness in polyester-cotton and polyester spun yarn, with prices hovering near the previous close. Recycled and virgin polyester fibre also remained stable. A Ludhiana-based trader told Fibre*Fashion, “Consumer industry already purchased the necessary amounts of PC yarn and polyester spun yarn. So, they have sufficient stock of raw material. Hence, there is no urgency to ramp up production and stocks in the prevailing market conditions.” Domestic producers kept virgin polyester fibre prices unchanged.

In Ludhiana, ** count PC combed yarn (**/**) was traded at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg (GST inclusive); ** count PC carded yarn (**/**) at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg (GST inclusive); ** recycled polyester yarn at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg (GST extra); ** count virgin polyester spun at ****;***–*** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg (GST inclusive); recycled polyester fibre (PET bottle fibre) at ****;**–** (~$*.**–*.**) per kg and virgin polyester fibre at ****;***.** (~$*.**) per kg.