More Than Numbers

The first time I truly understood Bangladesh's economic heartbeat, I wasn't reading a report or analyzing data. I was sitting in Old Dhaka, watching Shahana – a 32-year-old entrepreneur and mother – effortlessly multitask.

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Her mobile phone was balanced precariously between her shoulder and ear as she attended a call with an international client. At the same time, she held her daughter's math homework, guiding her through long division.

Her fingers darted between spreadsheets, her eyes scanning every detail. It was mesmerizing. This moment made me think: How often do we truly see women like Shahana? Not as numbers – 50.8 percent of the population, 37 percent workforce participation – but as the architects of an economy quietly being rewritten every day.

Let's talk about the RMG sector, the backbone of Bangladesh's economy. As the world's second-largest garment exporter, Bangladesh's RMG industry has been instrumental in driving economic growth, where women made up 80 percent of the workforce in the 1980s but currently the number has dwindled to 53.65 percent. Yet, their stories rarely make headlines.