BSS, Dhaka :
Under a special initiative of Bangladesh Bank (BB) to help women achieve financial self-reliance, the country’s banking sector provided 41,695 women entrepreneurs with a total of Taka 3,364 soft loan last year, according to a presentation of the Governor Dr Atiur Rahman.
The governor made this presentation at a programme in the capital on Friday, highlighting the BB’s and as well as the banking sector’s contribution to help developing entrepreneurship among women and bring them financial freedom.
The programme was organised on the eve of the International Women Day by state-owned Argani Bank to award some successful female entrepreneurs.
According to the statistics included the presentation, the loan was disbursed under the BB’s refinancing scheme for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), which allows any individual female entrepreneur get up to Taka 25 lakh credit from scheduled bank without providing any collateral.
Besides, the central bank last week introduced a refinancing scheme named ‘She Power’ through which women entrepreneurs will get loan at 10 percent interest to purchase computers by paying 20 percent down payment.
The statistics also showed that 15 percent of the total loan recipients from the refinancing scheme for SMS is women entrepreneurs. The central bank also suggested all banks and financial institutions open separate desks for women from where they would get necessary advices and services for their enterprises.
All banks have also been advised to allow their women staff six months maternity leave.
Last year BB appointed a female deputy governor for the first time of its history. Apart from these initiatives, the central also organises conferences and trade shows for women entrepreneurs regularly.
