Islamic FinTech, Financial Inclusion and Sustainable Entrepreneurship among Women-Owned MSMEs in Bangladesh: Secondary-Data Evidence and a Research Framework

Purpose. This paper examines how Islamic FinTech could widen financial inclusion and support sustainable entrepreneurship among women-owned micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Bangladesh, and it sets out a framework that future empirical studies can test. Design/methodology/approach. The study combines a structured literature review with a descriptive analysis of public secondary data: the Global Findex 2021 and 2025 databases, Bangladesh Bank’s 2025 master circular on CMSME financing and its reporting on women’s CMSME credit, agent banking and mobile financial services, Bangladesh Bank’s quarterly report on Islamic banking, the Economic Census, and IFC estimates of the MSME finance gap. Findings. Gender gaps remain wide. In the Findex 2025 survey wave (fieldwork in 2024), 33.4% of Bangladeshi women held an account, against 53.5% of men, and the gap in digital payments was of similar size (21.4 points). Women entrepreneurs held 7.28% of outstanding CMSME loans in March 2026, against a regulatory floor of 15%. Full-fledged Islamic banks held about a quarter of banking deposits, but CMSMEs received only 8.04% of their investment. Shariah-compliant digital channels exist but remain thin. We propose a framework that links five Islamic FinTech channels to financial inclusion and to the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable entrepreneurship, state five testable propositions, and specify a measurement plan. Originality/value. The paper replaces untested claims of impact with verified baseline evidence and a falsifiable research agenda. Implications. Regulators and Islamic banks should report sex-disaggregated Islamic finance data and link Shariah-compliant digital products to women-focused CMSME targets.