BRAC Bank provides financing solutions, promotional platforms to women entrepreneurs

BRAC Bank is helping women entrepreneurs in Chattogram grow and thrive in business and expand market by providing them with easy financing solutions and promotional platforms.

The bank is directly exchanging views with the customers and providing information on banking services and easy financing facilities at its stall at 2nd Bangladesh CMSME Trade Fair 2022 at Sohid Shahjahan Math of Pahartoli in Chattogram.

Information and Broadcasting minister Hasan Mahmud inaugurated the fair on 7 January organised by Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CWCCI) with the presence of Ms. Monowara Hakim Ali, president of CWCCI.

More than 200 entrepreneurs, the majority of them being women, are showcasing their products ranging from readymade apparels, handicrafts, home décor, leather and footwear to utensils, plastic and electric products etc.

The exposition help the small-scale entrepreneurs to promote their products and generate revenue streams as they toil to recover from the prolonged pandemic and strive to take production and sales to the pre-pandemic level.

One of the bank’s SME customer Nazma Akther, proprietor of H R S Plastic, is displaying her electric and kitchen items at the month long fair. She runs her factory at Bogarbill of Shantinagar in Chattogram. He got inspired to venture into this electrical product manufacturing business while she was in Saudi Arabia with her family.

On her return to Bangladesh, she along with her family established the company to manufacture electrical products and kitchen items. In fact, it was very unusual for women in Bangladesh to start business in electrical items.

In this uncharted territory, initially she confronted with many challenges like, raw material, market access, product acceptance, product pricing etc. However, her steel solid determination helped her withstand the challenges. Her perseverance and indomitable spirit brought her success in an area of business usually dominated by male counterparts.

Now her factory’s production capacity reaches as high as Tk 400,000 per day. Her products are available in markets in Dhaka, Cumilla, Feni and Cox’s Bazar. With this extensive exposure in CMSME Trade Fair and financing support from BRAC Bank, she plans to expand her business and reach markets all across Bangladesh.

BRAC Bank deputy managing director and head of SME Banking Syed Abdul Momen said: “We have long been a partner of the Chittagong Women Chamber for promoting and expanding SMEs and capacity building of the women entrepreneurs. We believe this direct engagement with the customers will be beneficial for women entrepreneurs in Chattogram with information of easy access to financing.”