A project for technical service providers in Dhaka -- Better Life Enterprises Development (BLED) -- was launched yesterday, aiming to bring marginal people to a virtual platform to support a better life for them.

Young Consultants launched the project for these people, supported by Business Finance for the Poor in Bangladesh, a fund of UK Aid.

Shamsul Haque, former vice chancellor of Northern University, inaugurated the project, while Chris August, team leader of challenge fund, attended the function at The Daily Star centre.

The BLED project offers a virtual platform where a city dweller can find his required technical service provider, such as a cobbler, plumber, electrician, gas mechanic, locksmith, food vendor, auto mechanic, small shoe producer, potter, carpenter and street hawker.

The target of the project is to provide financial and marketing support to improve their businesses, said M Zakir Hossain, chief executive of Young Consultants.

He said both parties -- service providers and receivers -- will be benefited through this project.

The service providers will have to be a member of BLED to come under the project.

“We will open a bank account with Tk 10 for the members and arrange loans for them from different financial institutions,” Zakir told The Daily Star on the sidelines of the inaugural function.

BLED will also support the marginal service providers by arranging trade licences and business plans, he added.

At the ceremony, letters of recommendation for loans were handed over to two potential borrowers, selected by the BLED project after inspection. Both can now apply formally to MIDAS for micro finance.

Anyone who wants to get the services will have to visit www.dbetterlifebd.org.