Experts seek stronger IP framework after LDC graduation

Experts and policymakers have called for stronger legal and institutional frameworks to protect intellectual property (IP) as Bangladesh prepares for new challenges following its graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category.
They said the post-LDC environment would pose challenges for pharmaceuticals, readymade garments (RMG), information technology and agriculture, while creating opportunities for innovation, branding, technology development and value addition.
The observations came at a focus group discussion titled “Industrial Shift in the Post-LDC Era: Strategies for IPR Issues of Key Industries”, organised jointly by the Support to Sustainable Graduation Project (SSGP) of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) and the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) at the DCCI Auditorium in Dhaka on Sunday.
ERD Secretary Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, attending as chief guest, stressed stronger legal and institutional capacity and greater support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). He said improved design and quality could help locally produced goods expand in domestic and export markets.
DCCI President Taskin Ahmed said a strong IP ecosystem would be critical after LDC graduation, with greater focus needed on innovation, branding, technology transfer and value addition.

He identified legal delays, weak institutional coordination, limited capacity and low private-sector awareness as key challenges, and proposed a modern IP rights office, IP tribunals in Dhaka and Chattogram, automated trademark registration and trained personnel.
Mohammad Ataul Karim, faculty of law at the University of Oxford and former consultant at the WIPO Academy, said industries would need to make strategic use of IP rights. He called for greater use of existing legal flexibilities, increased R&D investment, stronger industry-academia collaboration and incentives for innovation.
Project Director of SSGP and ERD Additional Secretary AHM Jahangir said private-sector industries would face significant post-LDC challenges, making effective IP enforcement and appropriate policies essential.
Md Jahangir Hossain, director general of the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, called for sector-specific action plans, while Abdul Baki, project adviser of SSGP and former secretary, stressed stronger public-private coordination.
BGMEA Secretary General Maj Gen Dr Md Shahidul Islam (Retd) said effective IP enforcement and incentives would support RMG entrepreneurs. 
Dr Abureza M Mujareba, professor of marketing at the University of Dhaka, stressed public-private cooperation, product commercialisation and greater registration of geographical indications.