Success and failure stories

Fifty-seven years in the trade, 9am to 8pm, and 300-500 taka a day

He opened his own shop around 1975 and ran it about fifteen years, until the landlord demolished the building. He now works from a small table under an umbrella by the road, taking 300-500 taka a day.

Started in 1975

A self-built rig charging easybikes for 110,000 taka, and still no income figure

After two unpaid years learning at an electricity office, he assembled a charge controller, DC motor, dynamo and circuits of his own to charge easybikes. Getting it working cost 110,000 taka.

Capital

৳1.1 lakh

From 12-15 labs between Shyamoli and New Market to four or five, with crockery in the other room

Around 2000 there were 12 to 15 studio labs between Shyamoli and New Market; four or five are left. This 35-year-old business has shrunk into one room and sells crockery in the other.

Eight of the town's sixteen studios are shut; the rest live on passport photos

The days of families coming in groups at Eid, Puja, weddings and Boishakh are over. Eight studios in Chandpur town have closed and eight remain, with cameras bought for 80,000-90,000 taka lying unused.

Started in 1998

Three years without a single fee, a school kept open on loans, and the homestead next

The school ran profitably and with a good name before the pandemic. After the long closures no fees came in for three years; he has borrowed to keep it open and says clearing the debt may mean selling the homestead.

From 235 students down to about 150, with a fruit stall beside the school

The school had 235 students before COVID-19; after the long closure about 60 new pupils enrolled and roughly 150 remain on the books. To keep it open she runs a fruit stall alongside and sells clothing online from one classroom.

The kindergarten shut and the salary with it; now two students at home

When the kindergarten in Manikganj town closed, this teacher's salary stopped entirely. He now scrapes by tutoring two students at his own house.

Twelve days offline, five clients gone, and the whole income base with them

Three regular clients brought in 1,000-1,500 US dollars a month. In the 12-day internet shutdown of July 2024 he lost five clients, and three new enquiries went unanswered.

Two contracts cancelled in the shutdown, and six months of standing gone

A Fiverr Top Rated Seller could not answer more than 20 client messages during the shutdown; two contracts were cancelled, the account was downgraded for six months, and he put the damage at 400,000 taka.

More than 5 lakh taka lost in the days Facebook was down

Two women run a fashion page that sells entirely through Facebook. During the July 2024 shutdown they could take no orders at all, and put their losses at more than 5 lakh taka.

A thousand taka a day and a parlour, and the shutdown stopped both at once

Selling through Facebook brought about 1,000 taka a day, alongside a small beauty parlour. The shutdown stopped the Facebook income, and no parlour customers came in the same period.

Facebook down, and ten days later a single order for 20 pithas

Customers find her home-made pitha through Facebook. No orders came at all during the shutdown; ten days in, she got one order, for 20 pithas.