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Friday | November 06, 2026 | Dhaka

Three-day women entrepreneurs’ summit begins in the capital

The SME Foundation organised the National SME Women Entrepreneurs Summit-2026 and product fair at BIM.
 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:01 AM, 06 November 2026

Information and Broadcasting Secretary Mahbuba Farjana has called for quality training, skill development, loan assistance and better market access to help more women become successful entrepreneurs.

She also stressed coordinated efforts by the government, private institutions and the corporate sector to increase women’s participation in economic activities.

She made the remarks as the chief guest at the opening of the three-day National SME Women Entrepreneurs Summit-2026 and product fair at the Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM) in Dhaka.

The SME Foundation organised the event, which was chaired by Industries Secretary Abdun Naser Khan. Representatives of the SME Foundation, Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh and BIM also attended.

Mahbuba said many women in remote areas had the skills and potential to become successful entrepreneurs but faced several barriers.

These included inadequate training, limited access to markets, poor packaging and a lack of improvements in product quality, she said.

Emphasising the need for equitable support, she said assistance should be tailored to individual requirements, including training, loans, technology and market connectivity.

She urged the media, including Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar, to highlight the achievements and success stories of women entrepreneurs.

She also called for expanding the SME Foundation’s fairs and support programmes to all 64 districts, with particular attention to rural and remote areas.

Industries Secretary Abdun Naser Khan said women entrepreneurs were an essential force in the national economy.

He stressed the need to connect their products with retail chains, supermarkets, corporate organisations, online platforms and international markets.

After the inaugural session, Mahbuba Farjana formally opened the fair by releasing balloons and visited different stalls.

A total of 60 stalls have been set up at the fair, which will remain open to visitors daily from 10am to 8pm.