Dhaka: International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh (ICC-B) today laid emphasis on strengthening SMEs to overcome challenges Bangladesh will face after its graduation from Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, ICCB Vice President A K Azad highlighted the crucial role of SMEs in economic growth, development, and employment generation, emphasizing the need for their empowerment as Bangladesh transitions to a middle-income country in 2026. He stated, “With the graduation to middle-income country in 2026, Bangladesh will be facing tight competition from its competitors. Strengthening the SMEs will make immense contributions in the entire supply chain process.” Azad made these remarks during the inauguration of a workshop titled ‘Find and pursue the right standards for your business: A Hands-on workshop with the SME Toolkit in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program (TSCFP) and International Trade Centre (ITC)’ in the city, as per a press release.
The session was moderated by ICCB Secretary General Ataur Rahman, while ITC Associate Programme Officer DANG Tuan Duc and Software Engineer Niklas Anders ANDERSSON delivered presentations on various topics during the workshop. Azad further stressed the importance of compliance and sustainability for export growth, stating that the workshop aimed to engage textile, apparel, and footwear manufacturers in the pilot testing of the ITC or ADB Sustainability Standards Navigation Toolkit.
Azad elaborated on the Toolkit, explaining that it was developed to help SMEs enhance their awareness of sustainability standards, assess their readiness for certification, and receive actionable recommendations for sustainable practices and compliance for export. He expressed gratitude towards ADB TSCFP and ITC for their initiative in developing the toolkit and assured that ICC Bangladesh will continue to organize workshops to strengthen the capacity of SMEs to boost their exports.
The workshop saw the participation of about 40 representatives from SMEs, including those from the apparel, textiles, leather industries, and other corporate sectors.