Bangladesh and Nepal will use the Least Developed Country graduation extension to strengthen economic resilience, with Bangladesh prioritizing export diversification, alternative trade arrangements and macroeconomic reforms, while Nepal focuses on expanding hydropower exports, attracting investment and addressing infrastructure and climate-related vulnerabilities, although the extension is more likely to provide temporary relief and improve short-term transition preparedness than deliver significant structural change. On Oct. 29, the U.N. General Assembly granted Bangladesh and Nepal a three-year extension to their LDC graduation period, postponing their exit from Nov. 24, 2026, to Nov. 24, 2029. Both countries had met the graduation criteria but requested additional time to prepare for the loss of LDC-specific support, which includes preferential access to international markets and eligibility for targeted U.N. and multilateral financing and technical assistance programs, citing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate-related disasters and geopolitical disruptions.