The 7th Social Business Design Lab took place at Yunus Centre here on Saturday with a vow to translate the social business plans into reality as soon as possible. Participants from different organisations, including Tapan Chowdhury, former adviser in the caretaker government, Abdullah Al Mahmud, Chairman of Mahin Group, Dr Mahmood Hasan, CEO of Gono Shahajjo Shangstha, Mosharraf Hossain, Country Director of Action on Disability and Development, Hasan M Mazumdar, Country Representative of The Asia Foundation and numerous other national and international NGO representatives, business leaders, educationalists attended the event. Chaired by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, the daylong event was divided into three major parts — social business project presentation, update of past social business projects and launch and signing of two social business projects. JMI Pharmaceuticals Ltd inaugurated E Medicare Tele Medicine Social Business Project, which will provide low-cost medical services to people living in remote areas of Bangladesh as a social business. SKS Foundation and Grameen Telecom Trust jointly signed the MoU of commencement of operations of SKS Social Business Project which will expand sheep-rearing business by poor women in Gaibandha. Six new social business plans were presented at the Social Business Lab. Those are Coco-Pith Plastic Compound Industry of Bagerhat, presented by Al Amin, General Secretary, HELP-LIFT Program; Potential Advancement Network and Hub (PANAH) presented by Mosharraf Hossain, Country Director, Action on Disability and Development; Saiyada Krishi Farm presented by Md Shamsur Alam, Fahim Fish Farming presented by Md Nasir Uddin; Social Business for Vulnerable Women in Rakibnagar Slums in Tangail presented by AK M Sirazul Islam, Executive Director, BASA and Adarsha Livestock Farm presented by Md Emran Hossain. Three of the projects were presented by ‘Nobin Udokkta’ entrepreneurs coming from the families of Grameen Bank borrowers. These business plans were then intensively discussed in six different groups. Professor Yunus thanked the participants for coming up with innovative social business plans and encouraged the designers to implement the projects and for other participants to support them.
–UNB
