BRAC bank’s women-led sme portfolio reaches Tk2,608 crore in 2025

Women's access to finance and their growing role in entrepreneurship and professional life have remained central to BRAC Bank's focus since inception, the bank said, highlighting its women-focused initiatives on the occasion of International Women's Day.

Through its women-focused banking platform, TARA, BRAC Bank said it has expanded women's participation in formal finance by supporting savings, digital banking and responsible borrowing.

By the end of 2025, TARA served more than 336,000 women customers—up 22% year-on-year. These customers held more than 466,000 accounts, while deposits reached about Tk12,968 crore, up 38.7% from the previous year, the bank said.

Women now contribute 31% of BRAC Bank's total retail deposits. The retail lending portfolio for women reached Tk1,386 crore in 2025—up more than 40% year-on-year—with over 20,000 women accessing retail loans, the bank said. Credit card issuance to women rose to nearly 29,500 cards, while more than 200,000 women registered on Astha, BRAC Bank's digital platform.

The bank also highlighted its Homemaker Account, which enables women without formal income documentation to open accounts in their own name.

BRAC Bank said TARA complements its SME initiatives by providing access to credit, enterprise support and market linkages.

The bank said its women-led SME (WSME) lending portfolio reached Tk2,608 crore in 2025—up more than 22% year-on-year—while deposits grew 67% to Tk2,873 crore. BRAC Bank said it currently serves more than 130,000 WSMEs and holds 23% of the total private commercial banks' WSME lending portfolio.

Branch-level training programmes across 64 districts engaged nearly 1,900 women entrepreneurs, the bank said. About 25% of participants accessed loans, while more than 60% opened accounts to formalise transactions.

BRAC Bank said its Amrai TARA initiative delivered intensive training in 10 districts—including Narayanganj, Chattogram, Mymensingh and Khagrachari—engaging 300 women entrepreneurs in business management and digital marketing.

The bank said its Uddokta 101 accelerator, run with Dhaka University, BRAC University, Daffodil International University, East West University and Chattogram Independent University, trained 263 women in 2025 through mentoring, practical modules and campus trade fairs.

To support market access, the bank said the TARA Uddokta Mela in Dhaka showcased products from 85 women entrepreneurs, generating Tk1.4 crore in direct sales and Tk26 lakh in pre-orders, while QR-based transactions exceeded Tk16 lakh.

The bank also said the UddogTARA accelerator provided digital training for more than 250 participants in branding, photography, accounting tools and online marketing.

BRAC Bank said female representation in its non-sales workforce reached 25% in 2025. The bank's women's leadership development programme ELEA launched its first cohort with 24 participants, offering structured leadership training and mentoring.

The bank also introduced Women Beyond Boundaries, a networking platform aimed at encouraging women employees to pursue leadership ambitions.

Employee support measures include a post-maternity return-to-work programme providing reintegration support, medical guidance, flexible arrangements and counselling, the bank said. It also introduced a professional certification reimbursement policy covering 75%–100% of costs for women employees.

BRAC Bank said it launched Antibias@Workplace to address conscious and unconscious bias and strengthen workplace inclusion. It also expanded its daycare facility beyond the head office in 2025 and said it enforces a Sexual Harassment Elimination (SHE) policy.

Under its CSR initiatives, BRAC Bank said 807 female students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds received the Aporajeyo TARA Scholarship. It said 342 athletes from all eight divisions participated in the Aporajeyo Alo Women's Hockey Tournament.

The bank said its Aporajeyo Ami initiative trained 44 women with hearing and speech impairments in sewing skills, trained 56 women with disabilities in digital and marketing skills, and supported eyesight restoration for more than 40,000 women through screenings, cataract surgeries and optical services.

Commenting on the milestones, Tareq Refat Ullah Khan, managing director and CEO of BRAC Bank, said: "As women gain access to banking, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship, the impact extends beyond households to strengthen local economies. Through TARA, SME training, leadership programmes and CSR initiatives, BRAC Bank continues to invest in access and opportunity, enabling women to fully participate in Bangladesh's economic progress and reinforcing the bank's role as a driver of inclusive growth."