On November 26–27, 2022, SFCP co-organized a two-day International Symposium on “Women Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh: Challenges and Opportunities” with the Entrepreneurship Development Research Centre (EDRC) of ZUMS, sponsored by Central Queensland University and supported by a2i (a flagship ICT Division project) and UNDP Bangladesh.
Sharifa Khan, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance’s External Resources Division, opened the symposium as Chief Guest, joined by senior public officials including Shahriar Kader Siddiqi, Muhammad Alauddin of the Power Management Institute, Ekhlesur Rahman of the National Human Resource Development Fund, and a2i Project Director Dewan Humayun Kabir, with UNDP’s Nazneen Ahmed attending as Special Guest.
International academics — Professor Quamrul Alam (CQUniversity), Professor Kosmas Smyrnios, Professor Firoz Alam (RMIT), and Dr. Olav Muurlink (CQUniversity) — gave the symposium a global research lens, while bKash, Daraz, and eCourier represented the private sector. Panels brought together banking and SME leaders alongside community voices including transgender entrepreneurship advocate Lineea Shammi, with women entrepreneurs such as Tahmina Shaily of SFCP and brand Shoilee taking an active role throughout.