BSS, Dhaka :
Hasnara Begum, who once came as a simple housewife to a poor farmer of Khas Howla village located at the bank of the river Brahmaputra in Narsinghdi district, has now transformed into a self-reliant by changing the wheel of her fate through hard labour, merit and initiative.
Primarily, she started rearing poultry fowls on the premises of her house with investment of a small amount of money then she became a member of a rural development project of the Islami Bank knowing about the project from some neighbours with a view to change her fate.
Taking loans in phases from the bank, Hasnara started rearing cows, vegetable farming and trolley business on hire. She is now the owner of a trolley van, three cows and landlady of three ‘Kanis’ of land.
She is not alone a self-reliant person now, a number of families have transformed into self-reliant through her initiative. She is happy now in running a family of two sons and a daughter as with the passage of time her income has been increasing.
Like Hasnara Begum a few lakh women in 64 districts round the country have transformed them as self-reliant persons by taking small loans and by doing this the women entrepreneurs are not only changing their lot but they have been playing a vital role in changing the society, country and its economy.
But a few years back, the scenario was different as the womenfolk of the country could not take part in earning bread of their own despite their frantic efforts.
The scenario has started changing with some public and private initiatives over the past few decades as the traditionally termed housewives have now became entrepreneurs.
Banks are playing a vital role in financial inclusion of lakhs of unemployed rural people by involving them in banking network providing them with various bank loans to build a strong economic footing of the country.
However, the women entrepreneurs used to face problems in terms of collateral, established guarantors, permanent business with various papers deeds. Sources said that an entrepreneur had to deposit over one hundred percent as security against the amount of loan he/she has been disbursed with.
The lowest amount of security deposit is 110 percent in this regard. However, most of the banks demand 150 to 180 percent as collateral. But in case of most of the women entrepreneurs, it’s not possible to fulfill the bank demand that also push backward 90 percent of women entrepreneurs.
It is learnt that nearly 30,000 trained women entrepreneurs have been going through sufferings and harassment in getting bank loans although the rate of return of bank loan amount is better for women entrepreneurs than the male counterparts.
In September, 2014, Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI) suggested Bangladesh Bank to frame credit guarantee scheme for disbursing loans to the women entrepreneurs.
The proposal (credit guarantee scheme for women entrepreneurs) in this regard has yet to come to light. In this context, Deputy General Manager of Bangladesh Bank Mostafizur Rahman said, “A pilot scheme in this regard has already been taken. There is a plan to bring some 300 women (entrepreneurs) under the scheme, which has got an amount of one lakh US dollars as assistance. Talks are underway with Sonali Bank in this regard.”
Hasnara Begum, who once came as a simple housewife to a poor farmer of Khas Howla village located at the bank of the river Brahmaputra in Narsinghdi district, has now transformed into a self-reliant by changing the wheel of her fate through hard labour, merit and initiative.
Primarily, she started rearing poultry fowls on the premises of her house with investment of a small amount of money then she became a member of a rural development project of the Islami Bank knowing about the project from some neighbours with a view to change her fate.
Taking loans in phases from the bank, Hasnara started rearing cows, vegetable farming and trolley business on hire. She is now the owner of a trolley van, three cows and landlady of three ‘Kanis’ of land.
She is not alone a self-reliant person now, a number of families have transformed into self-reliant through her initiative. She is happy now in running a family of two sons and a daughter as with the passage of time her income has been increasing.
Like Hasnara Begum a few lakh women in 64 districts round the country have transformed them as self-reliant persons by taking small loans and by doing this the women entrepreneurs are not only changing their lot but they have been playing a vital role in changing the society, country and its economy.
But a few years back, the scenario was different as the womenfolk of the country could not take part in earning bread of their own despite their frantic efforts.
The scenario has started changing with some public and private initiatives over the past few decades as the traditionally termed housewives have now became entrepreneurs.
Banks are playing a vital role in financial inclusion of lakhs of unemployed rural people by involving them in banking network providing them with various bank loans to build a strong economic footing of the country.
However, the women entrepreneurs used to face problems in terms of collateral, established guarantors, permanent business with various papers deeds. Sources said that an entrepreneur had to deposit over one hundred percent as security against the amount of loan he/she has been disbursed with.
The lowest amount of security deposit is 110 percent in this regard. However, most of the banks demand 150 to 180 percent as collateral. But in case of most of the women entrepreneurs, it’s not possible to fulfill the bank demand that also push backward 90 percent of women entrepreneurs.
It is learnt that nearly 30,000 trained women entrepreneurs have been going through sufferings and harassment in getting bank loans although the rate of return of bank loan amount is better for women entrepreneurs than the male counterparts.
In September, 2014, Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI) suggested Bangladesh Bank to frame credit guarantee scheme for disbursing loans to the women entrepreneurs.
The proposal (credit guarantee scheme for women entrepreneurs) in this regard has yet to come to light. In this context, Deputy General Manager of Bangladesh Bank Mostafizur Rahman said, “A pilot scheme in this regard has already been taken. There is a plan to bring some 300 women (entrepreneurs) under the scheme, which has got an amount of one lakh US dollars as assistance. Talks are underway with Sonali Bank in this regard.”
