Dhaka, Sept. 30 -- United Nations Under-Secretary-General Rabab Fatima has announced that her office will support an independent readiness assessment for Bangladesh's graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, following a formal request from the country's interim government.

Fatima, who also serves as the UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, made the announcement during a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his hotel here on Monday. She stated that the readiness assessment is expected to begin within a month and be completed by mid-January. It will be conducted jointly by an international consultant and a Bangladeshi ex...