Tk13,000 crore (about $1.04 billion) in refinance funds aims to back Bangladesh's farmers and small firms

At a town hall in Pabna, Bangladesh Bank officials promoted two refinance schemes worth Tk13,000 crore (about $1.04 billion) in total — a Tk10,000 crore (about $800 million) fund for national food security and employment, and a Tk3,000 crore (about $240 million) fund to build an agriculture-based regional hub in northern Bangladesh. Refinance schemes work by letting local banks lend to farmers and small businesses at gentler terms, with the central bank backing the loans. At the event, officials handed loan sanction letters and cheques totalling Tk2.7 crore (about $216,000) to 27 entrepreneurs in agriculture and small and medium enterprises, in front of more than 300 local business owners. Deputy Governor Dr Md Habibur Rahman attended as chief guest, with the Pabna branches of Islami Bank Bangladesh and Agrani Bank coordinating as lead banks.

SDG 8 · Decent work and economic growth — Mechanism: funding & finance