Real experiences, published anonymously and with permission.
A rope-craft workshop owner in Dinajpur, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopDinajpur
Started at home in 2020 with 3,000 taka. Sales now run at 3-3.5 lakh taka a month on a 15-17 percent margin after costs, with 21-30 people working.
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A bamboo handicraft maker in Dighinala, Khagrachhari, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopKhagrachhari
He graduated in 2017, took bamboo handicraft training in 2021 instead of chasing a job, and started that December. Trays sell at 600 taka, vases at 400 and miniature jhumghar models at 1,200; after all costs he earns about 20,000 taka a month.
A hogla-leaf handicraft producer in Fulbaria, Mymensingh, in a Samakal report
Light manufacturing & workshopMymensingh
He learned the craft at a Dhaka handicraft firm while still in class nine, returned home in 2016 and set up production. The unit now turns out about 1 crore taka of goods a year, and women weaving at home earn 5,000-6,000 taka a month.
A couple making water hyacinth handicrafts in Santhia, Pabna, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopPabna
They started in 2020 after seeing water hyacinth goods at a Dhaka buyer's place. They now buy 50-60 maunds of fresh hyacinth a day at 100-120 taka a maund, clear 30,000-40,000 taka a month after costs, and give work to 60-70 people.
A cottage-industry owner in Khansama, Dinajpur, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopDinajpur
Began on 31 October 2016 selling from a van. The unit now makes 30-35 lakh taka of hogla, jute and twine goods a month for more than 2 lakh taka of profit, with 54 permanent and over 250 contract workers.
A nakshi kantha entrepreneur in Jashore, in a Business Standard Bangla report
Light manufacturing & workshopJashore
Started in 2011 with 10,000 taka; sales now run at 4-5 lakh taka a month, about 50 lakh a year, with more than 5,000 people stitching. The same report puts a stitcher of twenty years on 3,000 taka a month.
A hand-embroidery entrepreneur in Rangpur, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopRangpur
Started in 2021 with about 10,000 taka of cloth and thread. A 2.5-lakh-taka overseas order was rejected over poor cloth sourced through a relative, costing about 45,000 taka; after taking sourcing back into her own hands the page now sells 3-4 lakh taka a month.
The owner of a garment unit in Sherpur, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopSherpur
She began with 10 taka in hand and a sewing machine bought on installment. A 1998 training course and a 25,000-taka loan became a training centre, and the business now carries about 50 lakh taka of investment, 200 workers and about 1 lakh taka a month of her own income.
A chanachur hawker of 42 years in Kishoreganj, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingKishoreganj
Two or three taka a day saved out of a 15-taka labourer's wage made 120 taka: 30 for a tin, 70 for a saucepan and 20 for stock. Forty-two years on it has bought three shotok of land in town, a house and two master's degrees.
A muri maker in Ishwardi, Pabna, in a Samakal report
Food processingPabna
Chemical-free muri fried from dheki-husked rice with only salt and water sells at 160 taka a kg locally and 200 in Dhaka and Chattogram supershops, against 60-70 taka for machine-made packet muri; one woman earns 15,000 taka a month from frying.
A food hotel owner in Jamalpur, in a Shomoyer Alo report
Food processingJamalpur
A plot bought for 350,000 taka in 2022 became a food hotel now taking 8,000-9,000 taka a day; the report gives no net profit or staff count.
Two dried-mango entrepreneurs in Chapai Nawabganj, in a Prothom Alo report
Food processingChapai Nawabganj
In their first season two entrepreneurs made 700 kg and 300 kg of dried mango and sold the lot, at 2,400 and 2,000 taka a kg. A maund of ripe mango yields only about 4 kg dried.