The government is actively working to resolve persistent gas shortages in industrial parks to enhance manufacturing capacity and boost the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector.
Industries and Commerce Minister Khondaker Abdul Muktadir on Sunday made the remarks at a programme marking World MSME Day 2026, themed around human-centered entrepreneurship in an AI-driven future, at the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) auditorium in Dhaka. The event was jointly organised by the SME Foundation and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The minister noted that the rate of new entrepreneurs created over the past 17 years has been alarmingly low, fueling national income inequality. Because of the gas shortage, industries could not utilise their full production capacity, he stated.
Muktadir explained that existing industrialists grew larger while few new businesses emerged, concentrating economic wealth in fewer hands. The contribution of the MSME sector to our GDP is only 20 per cent, much lower than in Vietnam, Cambodia, India and Pakistan. We want to increase this, he added.
To counter this entrepreneurship drought, the government is advancing a comprehensive plan featuring mentorship programmes and new industrial parks in Pabna, Sylhet, and Saidpur. The upcoming 2026-27 national budget will also introduce a youth entrepreneurship programme for students.
Industries Secretary Abdun Nasser Khan, who chaired the event, mentioned that the draft MSME Policy 2026 is awaiting cabinet approval. Meanwhile, SME Foundation Managing Director Anwar Hossain Chowdhury highlighted that the foundation has supported 2.2 million entrepreneurs since 2006, though a lack of regional branches continues to limit its rural outreach.
