Bangladesh, Nov. 6 -- Bangladesh cannot achieve its goal of becoming a trillion-dollar economy without bringing women into the mainstream of economic activities, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has said.

Women account for more than half of the country's population, and overall development cannot be achieved if they are left behind, she said, calling for inclusive growth that ensures equal opportunities for women across all regions.

She made the remarks as chief guest at the closing ceremony of the three-day National SME Women Entrepreneurs Summit and Product Fair 2026 at the Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM) in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, on Saturday.

The summit began on Thursday with 60 stalls under the sl...