Real experiences, published anonymously and with permission.
A pineapple farmer in Madhupur, Tangail
Agriculture & farmingTangail
A Madhupur, Tangail pineapple farmer lost Tk 50,000 on two acres last year. Despite GI status, farmers sell at Tk 10–18 a fruit in wholesale markets while the same fruit sells for Tk 40–50 in Dhaka.
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A cattle owner from Krishnapur village, Bera, Pabna
Agriculture & farmingPabna
A livestock owner in Bera, Pabna set up his village's first biogas plant 15 years ago; five cows' dung now cooks for his family of eight. The family says it saves about Tk 4,000 a month on fuel and can earn Tk 2,000–2,500 a month selling organic fertiliser from the slurry.
A cotton farmer from Akhila village, Nachole, Chapainawabganj
Agriculture & farmingChapai Nawabganj
A Barind farmer in Nachole, Chapainawabganj grows cotton between mango trees and harvests 12–15 maunds a bigha worth Tk 50,000–60,000. With Tk 35,000–40,000 profit per bigha after costs, cotton acreage in the area is rising.
A woman entrepreneur from Shobharampur, Faridpur municipality
Agriculture & farmingFaridpur
A homemaker in Faridpur municipality started making vermicompost in three ring slabs in 2017 with help from the agriculture department. She now makes 12–15 tonnes a month in 36 tanks under three sheds, earns about Tk 1 lakh a month and employs 5–6 workers.
A teacher at a coaching centre in Mohammadpur, Dhaka
Home & local servicesDhaka
A coaching teacher from Mohammadpur, Dhaka, was stranded in the UK in March 2020 when flights stopped and began live classes on Zoom from April. Where his centre had 30-40 students, 70-80 join online and fees arrive on time.
Solaric, a solar home system company founded by an engineer and former BUET teacher
Home & local services
A former BUET teacher and engineer returned from the US and in 2011 formally started Solaric, making solar home systems for off-grid rural homes. BRAC was the first big buyer and IFC the first investor with $1 million; the firm went on to supply more than 150,000 systems in Bangladesh.
Owner of a Dhaka pest control firm who worked a decade in the industry first
Home & local servicesDhaka
A man with a master's in philosophy spent a decade working and training in pest control before opening his own firm in Dhaka in 2019. He says pest prevention is badly neglected in the country.
Owner of a private ambulance service in Dhaka
Home & local servicesDhaka
A Dhaka ambulance operator whose earlier partnership failed started his own service with one vehicle in 1989; his fleet now has 15 ambulances including one ICU unit. But the sector is still not recognised as a business, and bank loans and trade licences are hard to get.
An IPS seller in Nawabpur Ershad Market, Old Dhaka, and neighbouring shopkeepers
Home & local servicesDhaka
When load shedding rose in July-August 2022, IPS sellers in Dhaka's Nawabpur and Stadium markets sold out; one shopkeeper sold at least 200 units in a month. But with no supply, sales stalled, prices rose, and local makers' raw material costs squeezed margins.
Securex, a company that claims to be Bangladesh's first security service firm
Home & local services
Securex, which claims to be Bangladesh's first security company, started in 1988 with just two guards when many laughed at the idea. Now about 6,000 strong, it launched electronic guarding in 2019, which cut one client's guard numbers by a third.
A homemaker entrepreneur in Rangpur city who makes hand-stitched clothes at home
Home & local servicesRangpur
A homemaker in Rangpur city learned needlework from YouTube, made a panjabi for her husband and started selling through a Facebook page. After losing money to a cheating overseas buyer she restarted, and now gives work to more than 50 women.
Founder of Naspro Auto Detailing, a car wash in Gulshan, Dhaka
Home & local servicesDhaka
Naspro began in mid-2020 disinfecting cars in the Unimart Gulshan 2 car park and moved into car washing and detailing as that demand faded. With 15 staff it now serves nearly 600 clients a month, but space limits it to four cars at a time.