Entrepreneurs taking part in the ongoing SME Fair report that obstacles to growing their company include sluggish product development, restricted acceptance of technology, difficulty getting bank financing, and a shortage of competent labour.
The capital’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre will host the 11th National Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Product Fair 2024 from 19th–25th May.
Rubina Akter Munni, the owner of a leather goods stall named Design by Rubina, shared with local media that she cannot secure large orders from foreign buyers due to the unavailability of easy bank loans to expand her factory.
Entrepreneurs are struggling to compete due to the time-consuming nature of traditional production methods.
At a seminar titled “Smart Financing for Smart Bangladesh: Possible Solutions for Mainstreaming the Marginal Entrepreneurs,” SME Foundation Chairman Dr Md Masudur Rahman said that the majority of small entrepreneurs operate informally.
According to the SME Foundation, there are an estimated 78 lakh MSMEs in Bangladesh, including cottage industries, which indirectly employ about 2.1 crore people.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
