Bangladesh Bank has distributed sanction letters and cheques worth Tk 2.70 crore among 27 agriculture and small and medium enterprise (SME) entrepreneurs in Pabna under its refinancing schemes to strengthen food security, generate employment and promote agriculture-based economic development.

The assistance was distributed at a town hall meeting at the Pabna District Shilpakala Academy on Wednesday to promote two refinancing schemes — a Tk 10,000 crore programme for food security and employment generation, and a Tk 3,000 crore scheme to develop an agriculture-based regional hub in northern Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Dr Md Habibur Rahman attended as the chief guest. Other speakers included central bank spokesperson Arief Hossain Khan, Agrani Bank Deputy Managing Director Mohammad Fazlul Karim and representatives of local business organisations and government agencies.

The meeting was chaired by Abu Sayed Md Idris, deputy managing director of Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC. Islami Bank’s Pabna branches and Agrani Bank’s regional office jointly coordinated the event as lead banks.

Bank officials, more than 300 agriculture and SME entrepreneurs, and representatives of relevant agricultural, fisheries, livestock and rural development agencies attended the meeting.