Sylhet: Bangladesh Bank (BB) governor Atiur Rahman asked the chief executives of all banks to take necessary steps to all of their branches across the country disburse loans to illegible women entrepreneurs.  

The governor was addressing the inauguration of SME banking seminar on ‘Credit Access for Women Entrepreneurs: Challenges and the Way Forward’ at a hotel in Sylhet on Saturday.  

The seminar was organised under the INSPIRED Project of the government, supported by the European Commission and Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

Atiur Rahman said that the economic development would not sustain without empowering women with involving them more in productive and income generating activities.

He said the central bank, therefore, attached priority to lead the women to the main economic stream so they could use their innovation, entrepreneurship and dream to help the country achieve sustainable development.

Ambassador and Head of delegation of the EU in Bangladesh Pierre Mayaudon chaired seminar. Around five hundred women entrepreneurs participated in the seminar and an exhibition of the produces by the women entrepreneurs, organised at the hotel on the sideline of the event.

Referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's endevour in empowering women in the past six years, the governor said BB had also been carrying out various activities for women development for help them get economic emancipation. \

He said in line with the government's vision, banks and non-banking financial institutions disbursed Taka 4000 crore to 43,000 women entrepreneurs in 2014, which was 18.0 percent higher than that of the previous year.

Rahman said the initiatives of the central bank and the subsequent programmes of commercial banks drove women from traditional small businesses like boutique and beauty parlour to various trade and businesses including in IT.

He said the central banks would continue its efforts towards empowering women so they could contribute to the economy besides others.

The governor suggested banks and financial instructions to expedite and expand their credit activities for women with more effective and innovative programmes and products.

BB deputy governor Md. Abul Quasem, SCCI president Salah Uddin Ali Ahmed, Sylhet Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Swarnalata Roy, team leader of INSPIRED Project Component 3 Ali Sabet and women entrepreneurs Tania Ahmed, Mausomi and Arati Das also spoke at the seminar.