The SME Foundation and the Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN) have formally signed an agreement to increase disabled entrepreneurs’ access to financial services. An important step towards financial inclusiveness in Bangladesh’s economic environment, this cooperation focusses on lobbying, product creation, and capacity-building activities primarily within the banking and financial sectors.
The International Labour Organization’s Promoting Gender Responsive Enterprise Development and TVET Systems (ProGRESS) project, in which BBDN and the SME Foundation are partners, served as the impetus for this initiative, which was sparked by a recent conversation around financial access for people with impairments. Along with well-known institutions like PKSF and Sajida Foundation, the event brought together important players in the financial sector, such as BRAC Bank, Mutual Trust Bank, Shahjalal Islami Bank, and Kormoshongsthan Bank.
Throughout the discussion, participants shared their perspectives on the particular difficulties faced by disabled business owners, particularly in Bangladesh’s vital ready-made garment (RMG) industry. Many business owners related their own experiences, emphasising the ongoing discrimination they face when attempting to obtain loans and other financial support, even if they are competent and ready to make a significant contribution to the sector.
The Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP)’s Mahbubul Islam offered insightful insights on creating financial products that are suited to the requirements of individuals with disabilities. In the meantime, Sightsavers representatives gave a summary of the state of SME policy and how it affects improving financial access for this group.
Anwar Hossain Chowdhury, Managing Director of the SME Foundation; Peter Belen, Chief Technical Adviser of the ILO ProGRESS project; and Murteza Rafi Khan, CEO of BBDN, were among the event’s notable speakers. Anwar Hossain Chowdhury noted that despite current policies, real accessibility remains a big obstacle for aspiring businesses in the RMG sector, underscoring the need for the SME Foundation and its extended network to actively participate at every implementation level.
