Women Entrepreneurs' Asso-ciation (WEA), Bangladesh and Chittagong Women Entrepreneurs (CWE) jointly organised the 11-day workshop, which was inaugurated by former advisor to the caretaker government Rokia Afzal Rahman.

Entrepreneurship helps women become self-reliant and contribute greatly to economic advancement, the discussants told the workshop titled "Women's Empowerment and Advancement by Learning and Training Herself (WEALTH)."

Fair & Lovely Foundation of Lever Brothers Bangladesh Limited is sponsoring the event to offer women entrepreneurs training on development and management of small business and product development, particularly preparation of confectionery items.

Rokia, also president of WEA, Bangladesh, emphasised women's empowerment and said there was no religious barrier to the empowerment of women who could rather come up with such ventures upholding the religious tradition.

Rokia called upon women entrepreneurs to come forward to encourage others in getting involved in business, which she termed a "respectable job" that contributes to economic emancipation of the country.

Nawab Uddin, editor of Janamat, Britain's first and popular Bengali weekly, in his speech lauded the activities of WEA and CWE in promoting women entrepreneurs and assured them of help in marketing their products in the UK market.

CWE President Monowara Hakim Ali chaired the inaugural session.

Rafiq Sarker, GM (business) of Agro-based Industries Technology and Development Project, Islamic thinker Runu Siddiqui, WEA Bangladesh General Secretary Rubina Hossain Faruq and CWE Senior Vice-President Khaleda Awal also spoke at the ceremony.