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Jatiya Sangsad speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Monday said that women in Bangladesh were still facing difficulties in setting up businesses as well as getting banking support.
Addressing as chief guest the monthly ‘Luncheon Meeting’ organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh in the capital Dhaka, she categorically said that women had to face challenges even in getting trade licences and setting up showrooms to run their businesses.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh arranged the meeting on ‘Women in Business: Empowering Bangladesh Forward’ ahead of the International Women’s Day to be observed on March 8 across the world with the theme ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’.
Shirin said that the participation of women in businesses was needed for the country’s economic mobility and to achieve the target of the government to build ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041.
‘To achieve the target, we need four pillars — smart citizens, smart society, smart government and smart economy,’ she said.
She said that the women should be provided with policy support for creating an enabling environment for them.
Addressing the event as guest of honour, US embassy deputy chief of mission in Dhaka, Helen LaFave underlined the need for inclusive development amid the advancement in technology so that women could get equal opportunity in the digital age.
She said that the technology would reduce opportunities for people in future.
AmCham president Syed Ershad Ahmed chaired the event while Rubaba Dowla, country managing director-Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan of Oracle Bangladesh Limited, moderated the discussion.
Meherun N Islam, president and group managing director of CEMS Ltd, said that interventions from the government and other agencies concerned were important to remove the barriers women faced in running their businesses.
‘Moreover, mindset has to be changed for ensuring equal opportunities for women in economic activities,’ she added.
Syed Mohammad Kamal, vice-president of AmCham and country manager of Mastercard-Bangladesh, coordinated the event and offered the vote of thanks.
Members of the chamber, foreign dignitaries and business leaders also attended the event.
(NA)
