Md. Mostaque Ahmed, Deputy Managing Director and CEMO of Dhaka Bank PLC, highlights how the bank is empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs. By combining AI-driven paperless lending with highly subsidised interest rates, Dhaka Bank PLC is ensuring that women, youth, and rural traders have the fast, affordable capital they need to thrive in a digital economy.

The Daily Star (TDS): How is your bank changing its plans to support this new group of young and modern entrepreneurs?

Md. Mostaque Ahmed (MMA): Dhaka Bank provides a dedicated Startup Refinance Scheme for new entrepreneurs. It offers loans up to Tk 80 million at a low interest rate of 4% to help young people turn innovative, tech-driven ideas into active businesses. We also support entrepreneur development through the SICIP Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP), having recently trained 25 new/potential entrepreneurs in Dhaka and planning another program in Jashore in August 2026.

TDS: How do you make sure that small businesses in remote villages get the same banking services and support as those in big cities?

MMA: Dhaka Bank offers specialised 10/50/100 Taka Account Holder Refinance Program. This program provides easy, low-cost credit at a 7% interest rate specifically to marginal and low-income traders in rural areas. Additionally, through our partnership with bKash, the Digital Nano Loan for bKash Agents is also helping reach entrepreneurs in remote villages. bKash agents in rural and hard-to-reach areas can access short-term working capital quickly and conveniently without visiting a branch.

TDS: This year focuses heavily on youth and women. What special loan packages or services do you offer to help young entrepreneurs and women grow their businesses?

MMA: The bank heavily promotes the Bangladesh Bank Women Entrepreneur Refinance Scheme. Women running small businesses can get loans at a highly subsidised 5% interest rate with quick approvals and zero collateral for specific limits. They also offer a 1% cash incentive back to clients who pay their loans on time. For the Youth, Dhaka Bank also offers a Startup Loan facility, providing new business owners access to early-stage financing at 4% interest rate under the Bangladesh Bank startup refinance.

TDS: How are you using AI and digital tools to make it faster and easier for small business owners to apply for and receive their loan money?

MMA: Technology is improving the speed and quality of MSME banking by enabling faster onboarding, credit assessment, and loan disbursement, making services more efficient and customer-friendly. At Dhaka Bank, this is reflected in innovations like Dhaka Bank e-Rin, Bangladesh’s first AI-driven, paperless digital loan service, which processes and disburses loans via mobile app in under two hours.