250 women entrepreneurs get Tk 50,000 grant each from iDEA project

The iDEA Project under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division provided a grant of Tk 12.5 million to 250 women entrepreneurs across the country on occasion of the 92nd birth anniversary of Bangamata, reports BSS.

State minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak distributed the one-time grant of Tk 50,000 for each entrepreneur as the chief guest at function at Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) office in the city's Agargaon area on Monday, said a press release.

The Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (iDEA) project of the BCC under the ICT Division distributed the grants as a part of celebrating the birth anniversary of Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib.

Speaking on the occasion, Palak said that noble woman Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib was the source of inexhaustible motivation for Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in waging all the movements and struggles.

Noting that Begum Mujib completed Bangabandhu's works by looking after him like a shadow throughout his political career, he said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is leading a simple life, inspired by the lifestyle of Bangamata.

Speaking about the grants given to the women entrepreneurs, the ICT state minister said, "The failure rate of women entrepreneurs is lower than men. Our mothers and daughters are thrifty. I think the grant given to the women entrepreneurs will not go in vein".

Palak said that 1000 'Bangamata Indomitable Entrepreneurs' will be given grants on August 8 every year and added that the ICT Division will do its best to provide training, co-working space and seed money to women entrepreneurs to create 50 percent women entrepreneurs by 2041 to materialise the vision of 'Smart Bangladesh'.

Senior secretary of the ICT Division NM Zeaul Alam, executive director (additional-in-charge) of BCC Ranajit Kumar, president of e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) Shomi Kaiser and president of Women and e-Commerce Trust (WE) Nasima Aktar Nisha were present at the function as special guests.

Speaking at the function, Zeaul Alam highlighted the importance of women's participation in building a 'Smart Bangladesh' and said, "A major achievement in 2021 is that we have successfully implemented Digital Bangladesh. Now we have no obstacles or barriers to moving forward".

Presided over by project director (Joint Secretary) of the iDEA project Md Altaf Hossain, president of the Women Entrepreneurs of Bangladesh (WEB) Rupa Ahmed and consultant of UNDP's Anondomela Sara Zita also spoke at the function, among others.