Success and failure stories

From a hobby adenium to a rooftop nursery: Tk 11.5 lakh of plants sold July to November, nearly all online

A homemaker in Natore, starting with one adenium bought at a tree fair, built a collection of thousands of varieties on her rooftop. From last July to November she sold Tk 11.5 lakh of plants online.

After losing Tk 2 lakh to a broker, he began sheep rearing with Tk 70,000; 60 sold for Tk 4.25 lakh and 112 now in the farm

A farmer on the Jamuna char in Sariakandi, Bogura, lost everything trying to go abroad and then began rearing sheep after watching YouTube. In five years he sold 60, cleared his debts, and now has 112 in the farm.

Capital

৳70k

Ran for

60 months

From Tk 5,000 and an old sewing machine to a Tk 1 crore-plus nakshi kantha and handicraft business in 20 years

A woman in Jamalpur started 'Dipto Kutir' in 2000 with Tk 5,000 and an old sewing machine. Her business now has 42 staff, and she has taught about five thousand women the craft.

Capital

৳5k

Ran for

240 months

Started in 2000

Five days' training and 20 boxes for Tk 1 lakh; in a year and a half, Tk 40-50 thousand a month and 200 regular buyers

An unemployed young man in Jamalpur, after odd jobs and a failed grocery shop, began beekeeping in January 2024. Moving his boxes with the flowering seasons and selling pure honey, he now earns Tk 40 to 50 thousand a month.

Capital

৳1 lakh

Ran for

15 months

Started in 2024

From Tk 45,000 profit on two share-reared cows to a farm of 100-plus cows; over Tk 8 lakh a month from milk

A farmer in Karnaphuli, Chattogram, began in 1993 by rearing two cows on share for a neighbour. Today he has over a hundred cows and calves and 350-400 litres of milk a day, though rising feed prices leave profit below what he hoped.

Capital

৳45k

Started in 1993

Tk 10 lakh on 4,000 dragon fruit plants on a leased acre; Tk 12 lakh of fruit sold in the first full season

A final-year degree student in Keshabpur, Jashore, set up a dragon fruit orchard on one leased acre in January 2022 with family support. Within about a year the capital came back and this season he hopes to sell Tk 15 lakh of fruit.

Capital

৳10 lakh

Started in 2022

From 2 maunds of onion seed on 20 shatak to 30 acres: even 200 maunds does not meet demand

A homemaker in Nagarkanda, Faridpur, started growing onion seed on 20 shatak in 2004 as a hobby. In some 18-19 years she built her own seed processing unit and is now growing on 30 acres this season.

Started in 2004

Started with a few kilos of curd at a ferry-ghat eatery; after a bridge opened, demand grew so much he stopped making sweets

A shopkeeper who opened an eatery at the Bekutia ferry ghat in Pirojpur about fifteen years ago began by making a few kilos of curd beside parota and sweets. Since the Bangamata bridge opened, curd demand has grown so much that he stopped making sweets, but sourcing milk and raising prices are now the challenge.

Night chitoi pitha at a ferry ghat: 10 kg of rice flour sells about Tk 3,000, profit Tk 800-1,000

A fisherman at the Charkhali ferry ghat in Bhandaria, Pirojpur sells chitoi pitha at Tk 5 each to truck drivers at night after fishing by day. Selling pitha from 10 kg of rice flour, he is left with Tk 800 to 1,000 after costs.

From 5 kg of fruit to 50,000 coffee plants: coffee for 100+ farmers on the Garo hills, roasted coffee at Tk 2,000 a kg

In Nalitabari, Sherpur an agriculturist left his job and began raising coffee seedlings in 2021, giving 50,000 free to farmers over four years. One farmer sold about 500 kg of fruit from 800 plants for Tk 75,000.

Started in 2021

Quinoa on 60 decimal of char land: Tk 15,000 cost, 12 maund harvested, Tk 67,200 in sales

After repeated losses to floods and river erosion, a woman in Madhyarchar, Roumari, Kurigram took training and grew quinoa. At half the cost of maize she made over Tk 50,000 profit.

Capital

৳15k

Started in 2023