Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs): Bangladesh report

by Samveet Sahoo, Abhishek Anand, Nabila Khurshed and Khandaker Shaoli Hassan
Jan 28, 2021
1 min

The COVID-19 crisis has proven devastating for MSMEs in Bangladesh, which have seen their revenues reduce to almost half. Our report analyzes the pandemic’s economic consequences on MSMEs and highlights their coping strategies. It also provides policy recommendations to help them recover.

In Bangladesh, general holidays, falling consumer demand, and massive layoffs have affected all sectors of the economy. For the 2 million MSMEs that operate in the country, this has caused severe disruptions in the supply chain and a drastic reduction in revenues. 69% of businesses, mostly engaged in retail trade of essential commodities, remained operational while the remaining 31% were shut.
Our report highlights the impact of COVID-19 on the MSME sector in Bangladesh, particularly on micro-enterprises. It also provides policy recommendations to support the recovery of this sector.