A national e-seminar on small credit and skill management organised by Entrepreneurial Economists Club of Dhaka School of Economics (DScE) was held on Friday.
Speakers at the seminar observed that during the pandemic emphasis on small credit and skill management has largely been raised.
Besides government initiatives, banks and NGOs should cooperate for small credit and skill management at the local level, they opined, said a press release.
Speakers emphasised that post-graduate diploma in enterprise development programme of the Dhaka School of Economics are playing vital role in achieving the desire of the government to develop new entrepreneurs.
Speaking as the chief guest, Bangladesh Krishi Bank Chairman Md Nasiruzzaman said his bank is working to strengthen rural economy by extending credit support to agricultural and agro-based industries.
He highlighted BKB activities for creating employment through income generating activities to empower rural women and ensure optimum utilisation of rural resources. “In future some more innovative projects may be started,” he said.
Banker and economic analyst Anwar Faruq Talukder and Jagannath University Marketing Department Professor Md Zahir Uddin Arif presented two keynote papers at the seminar.
Anwar Faruq Talukder, in his paper, laid emphasis on gender equality in access to finance.
Prof Md Zahir Uddin said communication expertise in both English and Bengali is needed to reach the client for better services.
DScE Entrepreneurship Programme Coordinator Prof Dr Muhammad Mahboob Ali chaired the programme. He argued that agricultural development with cottage, small and medium enterprises (CSME) is highly correlated for local-level planning.
He also put emphasis on collateral-free lending with training by the formal financial institutes.
Among others, DScE Assistant Professors Rehana Parvin and Sara Tasneem, Financial Express Senior Correspondent Siddique Islam, DScE’s Entrepreneurial Economists Club President Umman Nahar Azmee also spoke on this occasion.