The ongoing economic and political uncertainty, spiralling bad loans, and eroding trust are depriving many cottage, micro, small, and medium enterprises (CMSMEs) of necessary loans, as they face weaker sales amid high inflation.

Banks charge SMEs interest rates ranging between 13 and 15 percent, among the highest across all sectors except services.

If the macroeconomic stress does not ease soon, these small ventures, which contribute 32 percent of the country's GDP and employ 85 percent of the industrial workforce, face closure.

How have local private sector businesses fared in recent years?

Enterprises running small-scale operations in Bangladesh are suffering from a significant fall in sales at a time when inflationary pressure has pushed up production costs

Drastic steps needed to save SMEs from being gobbled up by corruption

Small-scale enterprises of Chattogram are facing a crisis of capital in operating their business while banks have disbursed only 3.6 per cent of the loans allotted under a government stimulus package for cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises.