Started in Patuatuli in 1948, an optical shop still running four generations on; 30-40 online deliveries a day in lockdown

According to The Business Standard, Maqsud Ahmed, who came from Uttar Pradesh in India, opened a shop in Patuatuli, Dhaka with his son Zamir Ahmed in 1948; it became Mehboob Optics. The roughly 7,000 sq ft shop had a retail counter in front, and a factory was set up there with a machine bought from Singapore. A Green Road branch opened in 1977. The current owner is the founder's fourth generation. He says the shop did not become famous overnight; the key has been treating customers with respect and honesty, never selling something worth Tk 300 for Tk 3,000. Some customers have come since 1980, and many still buy from them after leaving Dhaka or moving abroad. Most staff have been there for years, some for more than 40. During the pandemic he strengthened the online service; during the shutdown there were 30 to 40 deliveries a day, and one person now handles it. Frames range from Tk 200 to gold-plated ones at Tk 80,000, but most customers want a package within Tk 1,000. He says anyone in Bangladesh can open an optical shop without knowing eye measurement or lens power, while everything from raw materials to lenses must be imported from China and Korea. So he took a diploma in optometry, launched the shop's own eyewear line, and plans to move into manufacturing.