Real experiences, published anonymously and with permission.
A 16-year-old beekeeper in Durgapur, Rajshahi
Agriculture & farmingRajshahi
A 16-year-old in Durgapur, Rajshahi, left school because of poverty and started a bee farm with an NGO loan. He now has about 100 boxes and earns Tk 45,000 to 50,000 a month.
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A tea and pitha shop owner in South Surma, Sylhet
Food processingSylhet
A tea-stall owner in South Surma, Sylhet, added nungra pitha to his ten-year-old shop three years ago and drew more customers. Nungra and sandesh pitha together now sell over 3,000 a day.
A college student in Matlab Dakshin running a mango orchard and nursery
Agriculture & farmingChandpur
A college student in Matlab Dakshin, Chandpur, set up a 40-variety mango orchard and nursery on land he leased in 2024. He expects about Tk 2 lakh from mangoes and grafted saplings in the first season.
A medicinal plant grower and nursery owner in Palashbari, formerly a sharecropper
Agriculture & farmingGaibandha
A near-landless farmer in Palashbari, Gaibandha, began growing medicinal plants in 2007 on the agriculture department's advice. On four bigha of sharecropped land plus a nursery he now sells about Tk 15 lakh a year, with about Tk 3 lakh left after costs.
A dragon fruit grower in Sarail, formerly a contractor
Agriculture & farmingBrahmanbaria
A former contractor in Sarail, Brahmanbaria, planted 6,000 dragon fruit saplings on leased land in 2020. About three years on he earns around Tk 2.5 lakh a month from fruit and sapling sales.
An entrepreneur running a digital printing and IT shop in Chandpur town
Home & local servicesChandpur
A young man in Chandpur lost his job during Covid and opened a digital printing shop in a Tk 1,000-a-month rented space with his own computer and a printer a friend bought him. With one employee he now earns Tk 30,000–40,000 a month after costs.
A farmer in Kaharole, formerly a salaried worker at a private organisation
Agriculture & farmingDinajpur
In Kaharole, Dinajpur, a former salaried worker left his job and began a farm with 13 cattle in 2016; it now fattens buffalo and cattle. He sells animals to traders every three months.
A watermelon farmer in Jhilongja union, Cox's Bazar Sadar
Agriculture & farmingCox's Bazar
A farmer in Cox's Bazar Sadar gave up vegetables to plant 'Black Baby' watermelon for the first time and sold Tk 1.12 lakh worth within about four months. A further Tk 20,000-30,000 worth remained in the field, and he plans to triple the area next year.
A summer tomato farmer in Gokarna union, Nasirnagar, Brahmanbaria
Agriculture & farmingBrahmanbaria
A farmer in Nasirnagar, Brahmanbaria, leased fallow land and grew summer tomatoes. On the agriculture office's advice, about 400 bigha across the upazila was planted with them.
A young cactus grower in Pekua, Cox's Bazar, a university graduate
Agriculture & farmingCox's Bazar
A university graduate in Pekua, Cox's Bazar, built a garden of cacti and rare plants beside a pond and ships plants across the country. Early on, plants rotted and he was cheated online, yet he now earns at least Tk 4 lakh a year.
A woman pickle and ghee entrepreneur in Bogura city
Food processingBogura
After her husband lost his job in the Covid period, a woman in Bogura started a business with Tk 300 from her daughter's piggy bank. Selling online, she now reports Tk 3-4 lakh a month from beef pickle and ghee.
A woman handicraft entrepreneur in Muktagacha, Mymensingh
Light manufacturing & workshopMymensingh
A woman in Muktagacha, Mymensingh, began selling handicraft clothes in 2011 with Tk 5,000. A partner cheated her of everything in 2016, but with her own shop from 2018 she now gives wage work to 120 women.