Introduction
Small and medium industries play vital role in the economic development specially the countries of
emerging economy. They are engaged in manufacturing, services and trading sector. Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) are treated as the engines of growth and drivers of innovation worldwide. They play a
significant role in driving economic growth and creating jobs. In Bangladesh, the sector is changing the
face of the economy. SMEs are playing a vital role for the country's accelerated industrialization and
economic growth, employment generation and reducing poverty. SMEs now occupy an important position in
the national economy. They account for about 45 percent of manufacturing value addition, about 80
percent of industrial employment, about 90 percent of total
industrial units and about 25 percent of the labour force. Their total contribution to export earnings
varies from 75 percent to 80 percent. The industrial sector makes up 33 percent of the country's gross
domestic product (GDP), most of which is coming from the SMEs.
The total number of SMEs in Bangladesh is estimated to be 82,00,000 establishments. Of which, 92
percent are micro and small, and 8 percent are medium enterprises.