41 women entrepreneurs get ‘Smart women entrepreneurship grants’
A total of 41 women entrepreneurs have been given ‘Smart women entrepreneurship grants’ aimed at promoting the welfare of the entrepreneurs and their business development, reports news agency BSS.
The Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (iDEA) project of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under the ICT Division provided the grant of Taka 50,000 to each of 41 promising women entrepreneurs in seven parliamentary constituencies in the country through Anondomela of UNDP, Sarvajaya Nari Uddokta Utpadon Mukhi Somobay Samity Ltd., Samaj, gram and Shohor Unnoyon Mohila Sangstha, Bangladesh Entrepreneurship Organisation, Women’s Alliance, Nijer Bolar Moto Ekta Golpo and Women Entrepreneur Forum, said a press release.
Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury distributed the grant among the women entrepreneurs at a function held at LD Hall of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the capital with State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak in the chair.
Lawmakers Ratna Ahmed and Shamsun Nahar were present at the event among others.
iDEA project director (joint secretary) Md. Altaf Hossain and Chief Coordinator of the programme and iDEA project human resources consultant Md. Nazim Uddin were also present at the programme.
Congratulating the state minister for ICT Division for launching and carrying out specific programmes for women, Shirin Sharmin said according to the census, there are more women than men in the country.
Noting that women are naturally business owners, she suggested leveraging information technology to apply their own ideas to expand their businesses.
“We won’t lag behind in the ICT sector … we have demonstrated our skill and capacity,” the speaker said, adding that women are contributing to the national economy and earning foreign currency.
Speaking on the occasion, Zunaid Ahmed Palak encouraged women for running their businesses and said, “Potential entrepreneurs of future lie within you.”
Noting that the government will create a favourable environment for the women entrepreneurs, he said this grant will be given at union level across the country.
More than 5,000 women entrepreneurs would receive the grants after distributing it among 2,000 female entrepreneurs in the first phase, Palak added.
The release further mentioned that earlier, 250 women entrepreneurs were given a grant of Tk 50,000 each on 8 August in 2022, marking the 92nd birth anniversary of Bangamata Begum Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, wife of Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and another 1000 women entrepreneurs were given the same grant at a programme organised to mark the 75th birth anniversary of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 29 September that year.
The iDEA Project gave all the grants.