Real experiences, published anonymously and with permission.
A pickup driver at Khatunganj, Chattogram, as reported by Prothom Alo
Digital & B2B servicesChattogram
A pickup driver delivering from Khatunganj, Chattogram, burns 10–12 litres of diesel a day. The price rise adds Tk200–240 a day; he says the old fare won't cover costs and plans to add Tk1–5 per sack.
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A student entrepreneur in Phulbari, Dinajpur, as reported by Ajker Patrika
Agriculture & farmingDinajpur
A diploma student in Phulbari, Dinajpur, grew mushrooms successfully, but they are unknown locally and hotels and restaurants have shown little interest.
Owner of a Dhaka-based tour operating firm, as reported by The Daily Star
Digital & B2B servicesDhaka
A young operator who began in 2018 leased cottages in Sajek and St Martin's and grew monthly profit to Tk35,000; the pandemic forced him to give up his Khilgaon office, and he later returned to profit from a shared office.
Chairman of a subscription reseller firm, as reported by The Business Standard
Digital & B2B services
A reseller of software and AI subscriptions serves 30–50 customers a day. Demand is rising, but shared accounts and an unclear legal framework carry real risk.
A young pearl farmer in Patuakhali, as reported by The Daily Star (Bangla)
Agriculture & farmingPatuakhali
A young man in Patuakhali brought in a pearl farmer he found on YouTube to train him; his first crop sold for twice its cost, but buyers are mainly a couple of Indian traders.
A home-based cake baker, as reported by The Financial Express
Food processing
A home baker selling cakes online said delivery was her hardest problem — Tk350–400 per trip, and some couriers ruined cakes without paying compensation.
A young guava grower in Godagari, Rajshahi, as reported by The Business Standard
Agriculture & farmingRajshahi
A young Godagari, Rajshahi entrepreneur leased 28 bighas of Padma char at Tk 15,000 per bigha a year for guava. Year one recovered costs, year two made Tk 1 lakh per bigha, year three made nothing due to Covid. Earlier, every tree in his 105-bigha Barind orchard died within 3.5 years.
A young rooftop goat keeper in Rupganj, Narayanganj, as reported by Prothom Alo
Agriculture & farmingNarayanganj
A university student in Rupganj, Narayanganj built a rooftop goat farm from one Jamunapari goat gifted in 2018. With no grazing land, the first goat died of wrong feed, and many more died of disease in the first 18 months.
A jhum and turmeric farmer in Dighinala, Khagrachhari, as reported by Prothom Alo
Agriculture & farmingKhagrachhari
In Dighinala, Khagrachhari, dried turmeric fetched Tk 10,000–12,000 a maund in 2011–12, then fell below Tk 4,000 and many quit. One jhum farmer turned four maunds of seed turmeric into 4.5 maunds dried, sold for Tk 18,000.
A ghee and chhana maker in a Ghosh neighbourhood of Mirzapur, Tangail, as reported by Prothom Alo
Food processingTangail
In a Ghosh neighbourhood of Mirzapur, Tangail, over a hundred families separate milk to make ghee, chhana and yogurt; one maker reckons ghee plus chhana earns just over Tk300 per maund of milk, yogurt about Tk1,800.
A contract floating-seedbed maker in Nazirpur, Pirojpur, as reported by The Daily Star
Agriculture & farmingPirojpur
In Nazirpur, Pirojpur, contract makers build water-hyacinth floating seedbeds to farmers' orders. Each leaves a margin of about Tk 2,000–3,000, but hyacinth that used to be free now costs Tk 5,000–6,000 per bigha.
The co-founder of a Dhaka burger chain, as reported by The Business Standard
Food processingDhaka
A chain that sparked Dhaka's burger craze a decade ago opened 14 branches and one in Sri Lanka, but lost ground in Dhaka to copycats, lost student locations and shifting tastes; Chattogram still does well.