Bangladesh

Three regional MSC processes were conducted in Bangladesh, in the East Central, Northwestern, and Coastal Regions, with each region having its own story selection committee. Across the different regions, Selection Committees in Bangladesh emphasized relatability to contextual reality, positive social impact, realistic vision, consideration of external constraints, and financial planning. These stories emphasized inclusivity in entrepreneurship and a wider social outlook on community needs beyond individual enterprises.

In the East-Central Region, covering Dhaka (Central) and Sylhet (Northeast) divisions, a Selection Committee in Dhaka selected the story of a female entrepreneur from Sylhet who successfully transformed her tailoring business into a flourishing mini-garments enterprise. The story was chosen due to its impact on the wider community and emphasis on social and religious considerations embedded in the entrepreneur's goals, such as the dream of performing the Hajj pilgrimage. The committee appreciated her realistic planning and how she not only applied training from iDE programs, but recognized her own competence to accomplish these goals. The story’s themes of women's empowerment and the creation of employment opportunities for young women in the community resonated with the committee. The narrative also underscored the remarkable ability of a woman entrepreneur to effectively balance her business and family responsibilities. 

The story of a young male latrine production business owner was selected from the participatory committee formed in Bogura, that covered stories collected from Rajshahi division in the Northwest and the district of Jashore in Khulna division in the Southwest. The criteria used by this Selection Committee included consistency with contextual reality, societal impact, financial planning, knowledge utilization from project intervention, and resilience in overcoming obstacles. The selected story emphasized youth participation in addressing social issues through entrepreneurship as it portrayed a young man managing his father's latrine production business while pursuing higher education and family care. 

In Cox’s Bazar, the coastal district in Southeast Bangladesh, Chattogram division, the committee chose the story of a young female entrepreneur with a disability who owned a tailoring and sanitary napkin shop. The criteria included relatability to contextual reality, a positive social outlook, consideration of external shocks, and financial planning. The committee selected this story for its multifaceted impact, addressing crucial issues like Menstrual Health and overcoming challenges associated with being a woman with physical disabilities. Similar to the story selected in Dhaka, the committee highlighted the importance of providing employment opportunities for young women. The narrative resonated with people due to the single mother's perseverance in establishing, operating, and expanding her business despite societal barriers and her disability. 

Across all stories, individuals from Bangladesh were the most likely to discuss “Social Responsibility” or a desire to give back to their community either through contributing to charity or leveraging their business to have a positive impact, as exemplified by this quote from an young aspiring entrepreneur, “I am also committed to helping other women entrepreneurs succeed. I believe that every woman should have the opportunity to achieve financial independence. I wish to empower economically disadvantaged women and help them gain employment opportunities.”

Additionally, Access to Finance was a theme more prominent in Bangladesh than other countries, with 55% of respondents in Bangladesh highlighting this topic.