The month-long 15th International Women’s Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Expo Bangladesh 2026 has begun in Chattogram, aiming to expand market access for women entrepreneurs.
The fair opened on Saturday at the Bangladesh Railway Stadium Polo Ground, the organisers said.
Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain inaugurated the event.
Organiser Chattogram Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Abida Mostafa said the chamber has been working since 2002 to create sustainable market opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
She said the expo, held at the Polo Ground since 2007, has grown into one of South Asia’s largest women-led trade fairs.
Entrepreneurs from Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand and Pakistan are taking part in the event.
Around 350 stalls and 20 pavilions have been set up, including 100 stalls dedicated to women entrepreneurs.
Organisers have introduced a special ‘Women Zone’ and subsidised stalls to support small-scale entrepreneurs.
A separate handicrafts zone has also been arranged to promote locally produced goods and support domestic industries.
The fair includes an amusement park for children, while students from different schools in the city have been given free entry tickets.
A key attraction is the “7th SME Banking Match-Making Fair-2026,” organised in collaboration with Bangladesh Bank.
The initiative is designed to connect entrepreneurs with banks and improve access to loans and financial support.
