Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) has taken an initiative to create 24,000 trained entrepreneurs in two years in line with one of the Prime Minister’s 10 initiatives – ‘Investment Development’, reports BSS.
“BIDA has taken multidimensional plans to create entrepreneurs at the grassroots level. As per the plans, we have set a target for two years to create 24,000 skilled entrepreneurs across the country,” BIDA Executive Chairman Kazi M Aminul Islam told BSS.
To achieve the target, he said, BIDA has already taken a project titled ‘Entrepreneurship Creation and Skill Development’.
“Under the project, each entrepreneur will take one-month training from the district level training centre. We have a plan to start the training programme from July 1,” he added.
Through the training programme, the BIDA chief said, trainees can gather necessary knowledge about how to start a business and its challenges, market analysis, capital collection process and other related issues.
“In the training, BIDA will also motivate the youth about business through removing their wrong perception so they can make them self-reliant,” he added.
Project Director of the ‘Entrepreneurship Creation and Skill Development’ project Abul Khair Mohammad Hafizullah Khan informed that the process of opening training centres and appointing master trainers for districts is underway.
“Appointment of necessary human resources is also under process. We will select our trainees in every district within June 30. We will start our training activities from July 1,” he added.
Under the project, he said, BIDA will provide training to 25 entrepreneurs every month in each district and the training programme will run for 15 months.
“After 15 months, a total of 375 entrepreneurs in every district will complete their training. The project will also run for more three months for monitoring the entrepreneurs,” he added.
In every district, he said, a support centre will be established for providing necessary supports to the trainees.
Elaborating the training process, Hafizullah Khan, also a deputy secretary, said, “We will select resource persons and trainees taking the help of the district administration in every district. The resource persons will provide training and the appointed master trainer will coordinate the training programme.”
In the first 15 working days of the month-long training, he said, a trainee will gather the knowledge of starting a business and its running process. Later, they will gather knowledge in the areas of their interest from the successful businessmen.
He mentioned that BIDA has already selected district-wise potential sectors so the trainees can gather knowledge as per their requirement.
“After taking training, every trainee will be the BIDA’s registered entrepreneurs. We will introduce them to different financial institutions, including Bangladesh Bank and SME Foundation, to solve their capital problem,” he informed.
Hafizullah Khan said BIDA will also make a database comprising the information of national and international entrepreneurs and investment to create an interaction among the investors.
“Suppose, someone has huge land, but he has no capital. Another one has capital, but no land. We will act as mediator between them to start a business,” he added.
He informed that BIDA will also develop an online learning platform so anyone from home and abroad, who wants to invest in Bangladesh, gets all information online with a click.