Central Bank and NRBC Bank Partner to Train Entrepreneurs

A new month-long Entrepreneurship Development Training Program has been officially launched in Dhaka. The initiative is being delivered by NRBC Bank PLC under the strategic direction of the SME and Special Programs Department of Bangladesh Bank.

The project is part of the Skills for Industry Competitiveness and Innovation Program (SICIP), an initiative funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and executed by the Finance Division under the Ministry of Finance. A group of 25 selected aspiring entrepreneurs has been admitted into this intensive educational cohort.

Inauguration Ceremony and Corporate Attendance

The formal launch took place on Thursday at the Human Resource Training and Development Center (HRTDC) located within NRBC Bank. Husne Ara Shikha, the Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank, acted as the chief guest and officially declared the training course open.

The inaugural event was presided over by Dr Md. Touhidul Alam Khan, FCMA, the Managing Director and CEO of NRBC Bank PLC. The ceremony was supported by a senior delegation representing both the central bank and the host commercial bank, as detailed below:

Program Objectives and Focus Areas

During her opening speech, Chief Guest Husne Ara Shikha focused on the need to cultivate a modern generation of skilled, innovative entrepreneurs to fuel national economic expansion. She noted that the government has established a target to generate employment opportunities for 10 million individuals. The central bank’s specialized training initiatives are specifically designed to support this job-creation mandate. Furthermore, she clarified that successful graduates would be eligible to apply for formal credit and investment capital through commercial banks to launch or scale their business operations.

Dr Md. Touhidul Alam Khan stated that the month-long syllabus has been structured to bridge the gap between young business professionals, institutional knowledge, and financial backing. Over the course of four weeks, the 25 trainees will receive practical guidance across several core operational business disciplines:

• Business Plan Development: Engineering and testing commercial business models.

• Financial Management: Learning cash flow tracking, financial auditing, and capital allocation.

• Marketing Strategies: Building consumer outreach plans and market analysis frameworks.

• Venture Operations: Managing the logistics and administration of an innovative enterprise.

This collaborative educational drive represents an ongoing partnership between Bangladesh Bank and NRBC Bank PLC. The two financial institutions routinely coordinate similar entrepreneurship courses across various districts of Bangladesh, focusing on regional employment generation and supporting local small-business growth.