রিপোর্টারের নাম 
Young entrepreneurs will be able to avail collateral-free loans of up to Tk 10 lakh under Bangladesh Bank’s refinancing schemes aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and reducing unemployment, Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury told Parliament on Tuesday.
He also said startup entrepreneurs can access loans at a concessional interest rate of 4 percent, alongside free training and a monthly allowance to support business development.
Responding to a question from Sylhet-3 lawmaker Mohammad Abdul Malik during the question-answer session of the National Parliament, the minister said there is currently no interest-free loan scheme for young entrepreneurs. However, Bangladesh Bank is operating several refinancing programmes offering loans on easy terms and at low interest rates.
The minister said the central bank has increased the size of its refinancing fund for new entrepreneurs in the cottage, micro and small enterprise sectors from Tk 100 crore to Tk 500 crore.
Under the scheme, aspiring entrepreneurs can obtain collateral-free loans of up to Tk 10 lakh at a maximum interest rate of 7 percent. Loans of up to Tk 35 lakh are also available against collateral.
To facilitate financing for startup ventures, Bangladesh Bank has established another Tk 500 crore refinancing fund titled the Startup Fund. Entrepreneurs under this scheme can receive loans at an interest rate of only 4 percent.
In addition to loan facilities, the minister said Bangladesh Bank, in partnership with 39 scheduled banks, has formed Bangladesh Startup Investment Company PLC to provide equity support to startup enterprises.
Highlighting efforts to develop entrepreneurship skills, he said prospective entrepreneurs across the country are being provided with a month-long, 100-hour entrepreneurship development training programme under the Skills for Industry Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (SICIP).
Participants are not required to pay any fees for the training. Instead, those who successfully complete the programme receive a training allowance of Tk 5,000 and are given priority in obtaining loans afterwards, he added.
