Staff Reporter
Speakers at a series of youth entrepreneur gatherings organised by the COAST Foundation have urged greater empowerment of young entrepreneurs to ensure sustainable growth and social development across Bangladesh’s coastal and rural regions.
The assemblies, held from 19 October to 2 November under the theme “Youth Entrepreneurship as a Catalyst for Inclusive Economic Growth,” took place in Cox’s Bazar, Bhola, Chattogram, Cumilla, Noakhali, Barishal and the small islands of the Bay of Bengal.
The events followed a recent circular issued by the Microcredit Regulatory Authority (MRA) and aimed to engage young people in entrepreneurial initiatives while updating them on COAST’s facilities and support mechanisms.
More than 250 participants joined the events, including youth, civil society leaders, government officials, microfinance practitioners and media representatives.
Over 120 young entrepreneurs already involved in COAST’s microfinance programmes shared their experiences, challenges and ideas for building stronger community-based enterprises.
Regional Programme Coordinators of COAST Foundation delivered the keynote presentations, stressing that youth entrepreneurship is key to inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction.
They pointed out that although youth make up nearly one-third of Bangladesh’s population, only a small number have access to structured entrepreneurial opportunities.
The speakers emphasised that access to finance, training, and market linkages must be expanded so young people can become job creators rather than job seekers.
They noted that COAST Foundation has adopted an enterprise development approach aligned with MRA’s regulatory framework to ensure integrity, transparency and impact in its youth enterprise programmes.
The organisation’s focus is on strengthening local value chains, diversifying livelihoods and promoting economic resilience, especially in coastal and rural communities.
The gatherings produced a set of recommendations both for COAST and government authorities. The organisation was urged to identify potential and uneducated youth for entrepreneurship development, design flexible youth-enterprise financing schemes with lower interest rates, and promote regional business initiatives focusing on climate-affected youth, women and coastal populations. For the government, speakers recommended expanding access to finance, creating youth enterprise funds at district and sub-district levels, and establishing public-private-NGO partnerships for continuous training, market linkage and enterprise growth.
Several participants shared their personal success stories. A young entrepreneur from Cox’s Bazar described how she rebuilt her life through a retail clothing business supported by COAST’s microfinance loan and now mentors others in her community.
Another participant from Chattogram shared her journey from running a small tailoring unit to operating a factory employing dozens of workers.
In Barishal, a young graduate narrated how she returned home to set up an aquaculture processing unit that created jobs for local youths.
Government representatives, including a Deputy Director from the Department of Youth Development, praised COAST’s initiative and noted that entrepreneurship is increasingly seen as a viable alternative to wage employment for educated youth.
They pledged to enhance collaboration with NGOs to expand support for youth-led ventures in rural and coastal areas.
Through these regional gatherings, COAST Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to promoting youth entrepreneurship as a driver of inclusive growth.
The organisation’s coordinated approach continues to position young people as catalysts for economic inclusion, community resilience and sustainable development across Bangladesh’s coastal belt.
