After years of strong growth, the microfinance industry in Bangladesh was on the verge of a sharp change in direction, when the big 4 MFIs began to cut back on branches and staff in 2008.

In many countries, including Uganda, Bangladesh, and Bolivia, microfinance has become more competitive in recent years. Competition is generally expected to benefit consumers by offering a wider choice of appropriate products and providers, better service, and lower prices.

As part of research for the CGAP Focus Note "A Microcredit Crisis Averted: The Case of Bangladesh," by Greg Chen and Stuart Rutherford, Rutherford and S. K. Sinha interviewed 43 low-income rural Bangladeshi households.