Dhaka, July 27 -- Access to finance remains the most severe bottleneck in Bangladesh's business environment, scoring lowest among 11 pillars assessed under the Bangladesh Business Index (BBX) 2024-25, policymakers, bankers and business leaders said at a round-table discussion here on Monday, calling for a diversified, less bank-dependent financial system to support the private sector.

The BBX 2024-25 recorded a score of 40.07 out of 100 for access to finance, despite a 12-point improvement over the previous year, underscoring that the problem persists even as reform efforts gain traction.

The event, titled "Access to Finance in Bangladesh: Building a More Conducive Financial System for the Private Sector," was jointly organised by Polic...