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Yasmeen Ahmed, a prominent entrepreneur in the leather footwear sector and proprietor of Herald Traders, has been elected president of the Women Entrepreneurs Association (WEA) for the 2026-2028 term. The election took place recently at the Baridhara Cosmopolitan Club in Dhaka, organized by the Association's Executive Committee.

Outlining her vision for her upcoming tenure, Ahmed expressed a strong commitment to bolstering the ecosystem for women entrepreneurs throughout Bangladesh. Her key priorities include providing support to young entrepreneurs, fostering new development opportunities, strengthening professional networks, and enhancing access to capacity-building and skills-development training programs.

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Her priorities include supporting young entrepreneurs, creating new development opportunities, strengthening professional networks, and expanding access to capacity-building and skills-development training.

Ahmed also emphasized the critical importance of increasing the visibility of businesses led by women. She plans to expand WEA’s outreach beyond major urban centers to encompass rural areas, district towns, and smaller communities across Bangladesh. This initiative aims to ensure that a broader base of women entrepreneurs can benefit from the Association's resources and networking opportunities.

The election ceremony also marked the formal transfer of responsibilities from the outgoing executive committee to the newly elected one. The WEA, founded by the pioneering entrepreneur Rokia Afzal Rahman, has historically played a significant role in promoting women's entrepreneurship and economic participation in Bangladesh. The newly elected executive committee includes Nilufar Siddiqa as Senior Vice-President, Aniza Chowdhury as Vice-President, Mahjabeen Akhter Nazia as General Secretary, and Fahmida Sultana Anthony as Joint Secretary. Aklima Sultana Sony will serve as Treasurer, and Arshia Naz Tabassum as Joint Treasurer. The Board Directors for the term are Roxana Anwar, Ayesha Siddiqua, Seema Atia Reza, Rummana Perveen, and Farhana S. Chowdhury. The Association's advisers include Khadija Afzal, Sheezan Khan (immediate past President), Qauser Jahan Farida Moni, Nilufer Karim, and Dr. Rubina Husain.

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She also underscored the importance of increasing the visibility of women-led businesses and expanding WEA’s outreach beyond major urban centres to rural areas, district towns and smaller communities across Bangladesh, ensuring that more women entrepreneurs can benefit from the Association’s initiatives and networks.