About 200 SME entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, 67 per cent of them women, will receive support to build export capacity for the Canadian market under a new five-year project.
The Trade for Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth (TRISEG) project was launched on Thursday at Dhaka Chamber of Commerce (DCCI) and Industry auditorium. It is a joint initiative of DCCI and Canada’s Trade Facilitation Office.
The project will support entrepreneurs in export readiness, skills development, financing and access to international markets.
DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed said export diversification has become essential rather than optional as Bangladesh prepares to graduate from the least developed country list. Connecting small businesses, especially women entrepreneurs and underrepresented ventures, to global markets is necessary for a resilient and sustainable economy, he said.
The DCCI President also said the project will provide targeted training, specialised business advice and direct market linkages, helping SMEs build export capacity and create new business opportunities in Canada and other international markets.
Mohammad Hasan Arif, Vice Chairman and CEO of Export Promotion Bureau, attended as chief guest while Khondaker Md Nazmul Huda Shamim, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, was special guest at the programme.
According to DCCI, the Canada-funded project is being implemented in 16 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Md Zahid Hossain, Managing Director of the Jute Diversification Promotion Centre; Dina Mujic, First Secretary at the Canadian High Commission in Bangladesh; Md. Zabdul Islam, Director of Bangladesh Bank’s SME and Special Programmes Department; Protima Chakraborty, Managing Director of Jute Land Bangladesh; and Md Saiful Islam, Director of the Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association, took part in the panel discussion.
DCCI Senior Vice President Rajib H Chowdhury, Vice President Md Salem Sulaiman and board members were also present.
