BRAC Bank's 'Tara' programmes for women entrepreneurs: training, fairs and market links

BRAC Bank, under its women banking segment 'Tara', has brought together financing, training, advice, digital skills development, networking and sales platforms for women entrepreneurs. The bank says women entrepreneurs need different kinds of support at every stage, from turning an idea into a business to taking an established business to a larger scale.

The flagship entrepreneur development programme of 'Tara', 'Uddokta 101', runs for three months. It covers business management, financial literacy and market-entry preparation skills, business education, mentoring, case studies, participatory learning and a trade fair. Since its launch in 2021, the programme has trained 1,000 women entrepreneurs in partnership with the University of Dhaka, BRAC University, East West University, Daffodil International University and Chittagong Independent University.

At grassroots level, the 'Amrai Tara' programme holds three-day intensive workshops in different regions of the country for women-owned small and medium enterprises. The workshops train participants in business and financial management, documentation management, branding, marketing and financial and digital operations. Each year, entrepreneurs from more than 1,200 such enterprises receive training, and in four years the activity has reached 40 of the country's 64 districts, covering rural, semi-urban and urban areas.

The 'Uddog Tara' programme provides expert-led training in managing business on social media, strategic marketing, digital marketing applications, artificial intelligence tools and digital platforms. Since 2024, 300 women-owned small and medium enterprises have received training in advanced digital literacy, AI and digital marketing under this programme.

The three-day 'Tara Uddokta Mela' is held every year and promotes locally made products during the busy Eid shopping season. In four editions of the fair, 400 women entrepreneurs have displayed their products at free stalls.

Through the 'Uddog Tara' market-listing programme, held every three months at the bank's head office, around 600 women entrepreneurs have had the opportunity to display their products to bank staff. According to the bank, this programme and the 'Tara Uddokta Mela' together generate more than Tk 4.5 crore in product sales a year for women entrepreneurs, along with Tk 70 lakh in advance orders.

Through its network of 195 branches, the bank trains around 2,000 women entrepreneurs a year in banking services and financial literacy.

BRAC Bank Additional Managing Director and Head of SME Banking Syed Abdul Momen said women's becoming entrepreneurs should be recognised as an economic opportunity. He said when women build successful businesses they create livelihood opportunities, stand by their families and contribute to the local economy, and that as a bank it is their responsibility to recognise that potential and help ensure the opportunities needed to fulfil their aspirations.