Real experiences, published anonymously and with permission.
A multipurpose cooperative society in Madarganj, Jamalpur, as reported by The Business Standard
Digital & B2B servicesJamalpur
A multipurpose cooperative registered in Madarganj, Jamalpur took bank-style deposits at unrealistic profit rates; its officials later shut offices and hid. CID froze assets worth about Tk400 crore.
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Owner of a semai mill in Jashore, in The Business Standard's report
Food processingJashore
A loose-semai mill in Jashore took a Tk 20 lakh loan to expand after a good first year. Demand for loose semai fell the next year, then came Covid; now, buried in debt, the mill is close to shutting.
A young broiler farmer in Sakhipur, Tangail, as reported by Prothom Alo
Agriculture & farmingTangail
When buyers vanished in the March 2020 shutdown, a young farmer in Sakhipur, Tangail, had to sell broilers costing over Tk 90/kg at Tk 44-55.
A smallholder tea grower in Amarkhana, Panchagarh Sadar, as reported by Prothom Alo
Agriculture & farmingPanchagarh
A tea grower in Panchagarh Sadar could not afford upkeep after a season of low prices; pests and a heatwave left him with no leaf to sell in the first two months.
An agri-products entrepreneur raised in Natore, formerly a fancy pigeon trader, in a Prothom Alo podcast
Agriculture & farmingNatore
A young man from Natore held fancy pigeons valued at about Tk 27 lakh in 2014; when new hobby buyers dried up the market crashed and they sold for Tk 22,000.
Papaya growers in Pirganj, Rangpur, one with a 40-decimal orchard, as reported by the Daily Inqilab
Agriculture & farmingRangpur
In Pirganj, Rangpur, so many farmers planted papaya that the price fell to Tk 5-6 a kilo; growers, including one with 40 decimals, struggle to recover costs.
A guava grower at Bhimruli floating market, Jhalokathi, as reported by The Daily Star
Agriculture & farmingJhalokathi
In the 2021 lockdown, wholesalers and tourists stayed away from Bhimruli floating market in Jhalokathi. One grower could not sell half of his two maunds by 11am; guava fetched Tk 5 a kg at the market while selling for Tk 40–50 in town.
A ginger farmer in Taraganj, Rangpur, as reported by Prothom Alo
Agriculture & farmingRangpur
A ginger farmer in Taraganj, Rangpur made Tk 75,000 profit from 25 decimals one year. The next season, after continuous rain, rhizome rot destroyed 20 of his 30 decimals and sprays did not help.
The owner of a ghee business in Bhangura, Pabna, as reported by Prothom Alo
Food processingPabna
A ghee business in Bhangura, Pabna, was fined Tk100,000 by a mobile court for printing a higher price and selling Tk1,200-a-kg ghee for Tk1,800; samples were also taken for quality testing.
A woman team leader freelancing since 2011, in a Daily Star report
Digital & B2B services
A freelancer since 2011 ran a team serving one foreign company from 2012; when AI took over the design, image editing and project work, the business was lost and income fell over 80%.
A flower grower in Ulipur, Kurigram, as reported by Dhaka Times
Agriculture & farmingKurigram
An Ulipur, Kurigram grower leased 50 decimals and started with Tk 6,000, earning about Tk 1.5 lakh a year. With no buyers during Covid he had to strip flowers to save the plants and could not repay loans.
A fish farmer in Chandanaish, Chattogram, as reported by Desh Rupantor
Agriculture & farmingChattogram
A Chandanaish, Chattogram fish farmer stocked six ponds with loans from banks, NGOs and relatives. Days before sale, the 2026 flood washed most fish away, leaving him unable to repay.