Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for a long-term plan to ensure sustainable export growth, diversify exports and explore new markets for goods from Bangladesh in the context of the Ukraine war. A new export policy needs to be formulated for another four to five years by revising, changing and improving the existing one that will expire in 2024, she said.

The new export policy should be formulated by analysing the ongoing global recession, sanctions, counter-sanctions and the challenges and scopes arising after the country graduates from the least developed country status in 2026, she told the 11th meeting of the national committee on export.

"We have given special stimulus packages for increasing exports and a special fund was created for it," she was quoted as saying by a domestic news agency.

The country’s income from exports was worth $16.56 billion when the Awami League assumed power in 2009 and the figure was $60.97 billion during fiscal 2021-22, she added.