Success and failure stories

150 big events a year and 15% tax paid, yet banks won't lend

An established Dhaka caterer handles 150 large projects a year and pays 15% tax on each, but its manager says banks still refuse it credit.

4,100 tonnes of mangoes in 40 days, then a protest and a 50% refund over late parcels

An e-commerce courier carried about 4,100 tonnes of mangoes in 40 days, but late, spoiled parcels after Eid led online sellers in Chapainawabganj to besiege its office.

Tk 25–26 lakh of bamboo sold, then a pest at the shoot tips forced a switch to lotkon

On 7.5 acres of family land in Ghatail, Tangail, a grower sold about Tk 25–26 lakh of bamboo, then a pest at the shoot tips that could not be sprayed that high pushed him to replace the grove with lotkon.

A Tk 25–30k dinghy rents for Tk 120 a day; one local owner has 40

On the Buriganga, dinghy owners rent boats to boatmen for Tk 120 a day, Tk 3,600 a month per boat, but ownership is held by the locally powerful and boatmen also pay ghat levies.

A Tk 18 lakh houseboat loses two months of trips to a flash flood

Two partners built a houseboat on Tanguar Haor for about Tk 18 lakh, hoping to recover it in three seasons; a flash flood cost them two months of one season.

Capital

৳18 lakh

Started in 2022

Aloe vera worth Tk 5–7 lakh a year from 2.5 bighas, but leaves had to be buried in lockdown

A Lakshmipur Kholabaria, Natore farmer has grown aloe vera on 2.5 bighas for eight years and sells Tk 5–7 lakh of leaves a year, but could not sell during lockdown and saw prices halve after heavy rain.

Ran for

96 months

One and a half to two lakh a bigha, but no one to sell it to

Aloe vera started on 12 shotok in Shajahanpur took about three years to come into production. A bigha now gives 250 maund at 5-25 taka a kg, worth 1.5-2 lakh a year, but no factory in the country buys from the growers directly.

Ran for

36 months

Short of mulberry leaf, the cocoon crop falls from 25-30 kg to 15-20

Thirty women in Barhar village have reared silkworms since 2004. A cycle that once gave 25-30 kg of cocoons now gives 15-20 for want of mulberry leaf, and the board buys at 350 and 400 taka a kg.

Started in 2004

500 boxes at 99-120 taka, and 30-40 lakh to build the kitchen

A commercial kitchen in Tejgaon cost 30-40 lakh taka to set up and sends out about 500 boxes a day at 99-120 taka each, taking around 10 lakh taka a month. With oil up from 115 taka to 170-180, home kitchens have had to lift their meal price from 80-90 taka to 110.

Capital

৳35 lakh

Started in 2021

Beef at 595 taka brought 50 lakh on day one, and 695 ten days later

With the market at 700-750 taka a kg, this shop opened Ramadan selling beef at 595 — more than 50 lakh taka of sales on the first day and 50 cattle slaughtered on one Friday. Ten days in, the price had to go up 100 taka to 695.

From 2 taka a glass to 10, and still only 600-700 taka a day

A glass of sugarcane juice has gone from 2 taka to 10 over ten years, but the cane has risen with it. The stall turns over 3,000-4,000 taka a day and keeps 600-700 of it.

From repair hand to garage owner, and 1,000 taka a month per rickshaw for a token

A battery rickshaw returns 300 taka a day in rent against 100 for a pedal one, which is why a repair hand opened his own garage - but each rickshaw needs a 1,000-taka monthly token to run at all.

Started in 2016