Dhaka: The SME Foundation, in collaboration with Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), will jointly establish a ‘Dhaka Haat’ to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The initiative aims to bolster the SME sector by providing a platform for entrepreneurs to market their products and receive necessary business support.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the joint venture will also focus on the rehabilitation and training of 100,000 hawkers in the capital. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to create temporary holiday markets in various city locations, including Agargaon, and to operate business incubation centers aimed at fostering new entrepreneurs.
The decisions emerged from a meeting between DNCC Administrator Mohammad Ejaz and a delegation from the SME Foundation led by its chairperson, Md. Musfiqur Rahman. The meeting, held at the DNCC office, highlighted the mutual hope that these initiatives would be launched soon, with DNCC CEO Abu Sayeed Md. Kamruzzaman and SME Foundation Managing Director Anwar Hossain Chowdhury also in attendance.
During the meeting, the SME Foundation proposed establishing a ‘Dhaka Haat’ modeled after India’s ‘Delhi Haat’ to support the marketing of SME entrepreneurs’ products. The foundation also recommended setting up display and sales centers for SME-made products within City Corporation facilities and emphasized the need for measures to help entrepreneurs easily obtain trade licenses.
According to the Economic Survey 2024, nearly half of the country’s 1.18 crore businesses operate in the informal sector. The SME Foundation underscored the importance of DNCC’s proactive role in assisting these entrepreneurs with trade license acquisition. In response, the DNCC Administrator assured that entrepreneurs could now register and renew trade licenses online with a fee, receiving official certificates upon completion.
The SME sector is a significant contributor to Bangladesh’s economy, accounting for 32 percent of the GDP. As per the Economic Survey 2013 by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, over 78 lakh cottage, micro, small, and medium enterprises (CMSMEs) exist in the country, making up more than 99 percent of all industrial enterprises. These SMEs employ approximately 85 percent of the industrial workforce, engaging over 2.5 crore people, highlighting their crucial role in employment generation and socio-economic development in Bangladesh.