BRAC Bank, SME Foundation create mainstream market linkage for hill tracts women entrepreneurs
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BRAC Bank and SME foundation are jointly creating mainstream market linkage for traditional waist loom products of tribal women entrepreneurs from hill tracts areas at the 11th National SMEF Trade Fair organized by SME Foundation.
At an exclusive pavilion for women entrepreneurs, products including waist-loom boutique and a host of items crafted by 25 tribal Women Small and Medium Enterprises (WSMEs) are being showcased and sold. These products are specially designed and crafted through a 4-month long product development program by both the partners under a program named "Amrai TARA".
Md Masudur Rahman, Chairperson of SME Foundation, and Alomgir Hossain, Head of Small Business, BRAC Bank, inaugurated the stall on May 20, 2024 at Bangabandhu International Conference Center at Agargaon in Dhaka. The exposition will run till May 25, 2024. The fair is open to the public from 10:00AM to 9:00PM.
From SME Foundation, Farzana Khan, General Manager; and Masudur Rahman, Assistant General Manager and from BRAC Bank, Mohammad Jakirul Islam, Head of Strategic Alliance and Digital Financial Systems; Khadija Mariam, Head of Women Entrepreneur Cell, were present.
BRAC Bank and SME Foundation are facilitating to create and expand market access for tribal business women by helping them to enhance their creativity and skills to design and make their products for markets beyond their locality. The bank and foundation initiated a series of capacity-building programmes named 'Amrai TARA' starting with awareness session on March 21, 2023 in Rangamati with 100 tribal women
In August 2023, 25 of these entrepreneurs were enrolled in a five-day product development training on traditional loom products, covering product scrutiny, selection, design fusion, and pricing by famous designer Tenjing Chakma.
Since inception, BRAC Bank has been grooming women SME entrepreneurs helping them come under the formal banking system. The bank provides banking, financing and capacity-building, networking and market development support to empower entrepreneurs, especially women business owners.