
Unheard voices of Bangladesh's rural entrepreneurs featured like never before
SME Landscape in Bangladesh

Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh is not only about the large sized RMGs, pharmaceuticals and technology companies. The true spirit of entrepreneurship runs among our rural SMEs as well – ones we often neglect. They play a dominating role in Bangladesh’s growth story. Contributing 25% to the country’s GDP and creating employment for over 7.8 Million people, our SMEs have an equally powerful tale to tell, confronting head-on natural calamities, limited market accessibility and financial constraints. Their stories of hope, resilience and dreams against all odds, in effect, emerge as real gems from the soil, driving economic and social advancements in our beloved Bangladesh.

7.8 Mn
Contribution towards employment 1

15.5%
SMEs are in the Agro Sector 4

25%
Contribution towards GDP 2

7.2%
SMEs owned by Women Entrepreneurs 5

40%
Contribution towards manufacturing output 3

68%
SMEs have direct access to finance 6
Sources:
1. SME Foundation, 2018
2. SME Finance, World Bank, 2019 & OECD Studies on SMEs and Entrepreneurship, 2018)
3. National Economic Census conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), 2013
4. Dhaka University, 2014
5. Dhaka University, 2014
6. IFC, 2016

7.8 Mn
Contribution towards employment

7.2%
SMEs owned by Women Entrepreneurs

25%
Contribution towards GDP

68%
SMEs have direct access to finance

40%
Contribution towards manufacturing output

15.47%
SMEs are in the Agro Sector
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