Real experiences, published anonymously and with permission.
A student entrepreneur in Phulbari, Dinajpur, as reported by Ajker Patrika
Agriculture & farmingDinajpur
A diploma student in Phulbari, Dinajpur, grew mushrooms successfully, but they are unknown locally and hotels and restaurants have shown little interest.
Founder of a long-running Chattogram travel agency, as reported by The Business Standard
Digital & B2B servicesChattogram
A Chattogram entrepreneur opened a travel agency in one small room in 1982 and got his ministry licence in 1986. Village contacts and their referrals built the business; his son now runs it, with an office in Dhaka too.
Owner of a Dhaka-based tour operating firm, as reported by The Daily Star
Digital & B2B servicesDhaka
A young operator who began in 2018 leased cottages in Sajek and St Martin's and grew monthly profit to Tk35,000; the pandemic forced him to give up his Khilgaon office, and he later returned to profit from a shared office.
A Dhaka tour guide and founder of a small inbound tour firm, telling his story to Prothom Alo
Digital & B2B servicesDhaka
A Jagannath University student spent Tk2,000 on a Facebook page and website to run tours for foreigners. After repeated cancellations the first guest came in 2019; he now gets 10–15 guests a month with four part-time guides.
Two leaders of the Badarganj deed writers' association in Rangpur, in an Ajker Patrika report
Digital & B2B servicesRangpur
In Badarganj, Rangpur, the deed writers' association president and secretary lost their licences in 2020 after an ACC probe, yet were alleged to still lead extra collections on every deed.
Chairman of a subscription reseller firm, as reported by The Business Standard
Digital & B2B services
A reseller of software and AI subscriptions serves 30–50 customers a day. Demand is rising, but shared accounts and an unclear legal framework carry real risk.
An undergraduate at Sylhet Government College working as a digital-marketing freelancer, as reported by Prothom Alo
Digital & B2B servicesSylhet
A Sylhet undergraduate took an SEO course on Udemy and began digital-marketing work on Fiverr in late 2017. He now earns Tk3–5 lakh a month and his firm employs 30 people.
A former soldier from Morrelganj, Bagerhat, now an SEO freelancer, as reported by Prothom Alo
Digital & B2B servicesBagerhat
A young man from Morrelganj, Bagerhat quit the army, bought an old laptop with his savings and chose SEO in 2023. Now Top Rated Plus on Upwork, he earns about Tk3 lakh a month and has built his own SEO team.
A food-processing entrepreneur from Patharghata, Chattogram, in Prothom Alo's report
Food processingChattogram
A Chattogram entrepreneur put a noodle machine in 600 sq ft of his home in 1998, then added lachha semai on the roof. The first Ramadan sold Tk 5.5 lakh for Tk 50,000 profit; after Ramadan he made chanachur to keep the unit running.
A multipurpose cooperative society in Madarganj, Jamalpur, as reported by The Business Standard
Digital & B2B servicesJamalpur
A multipurpose cooperative registered in Madarganj, Jamalpur took bank-style deposits at unrealistic profit rates; its officials later shut offices and hid. CID froze assets worth about Tk400 crore.
Owner of a semai mill in Jashore, in The Business Standard's report
Food processingJashore
A loose-semai mill in Jashore took a Tk 20 lakh loan to expand after a good first year. Demand for loose semai fell the next year, then came Covid; now, buried in debt, the mill is close to shutting.
Managing director of a youth cooperative in Faridganj, Chandpur, writing in a Prothom Alo special issue
Digital & B2B servicesChandpur
In 1998 ten unemployed educated youths in Faridganj, Chandpur formed a samity with Tk50 monthly dues. After a year they started lending from Tk60,000 in savings, registered in 2001, and by 2015 reported about Tk50 crore in capital.
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