Real experiences, published anonymously and with permission.
A cement pillar factory owner in Baraigram, Natore, in a bdnews24 Bangla report
Light manufacturing & workshopNatore
A cement pillar factory priced at 2.8 lakh taka was bought with 40,000 taka in hand, the balance worked off under an 18-month labour contract. Two units now make 600-650 pillars a day for 12,000-15,000 taka of profit.
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A concrete block factory owner in Kurigram, in a Dhaka Times 24 report
Light manufacturing & workshopKurigram
Set up in Kurigram Sadar in 2021, this block plant makes 7,000-10,000 blocks a day and earns its owner an average 3-4 lakh taka a month; building with the blocks costs 25 percent less than brick.
An attar distiller in Sujanagar, Maulvibazar, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopMoulvibazar
This attar still in Sujanagar makes about 12 tola of attar a month at 6,000 taka a tola, against a gas bill alone of 30,000 taka. Tea factories pay 11.93 taka per cubic foot; this trade pays 30.
An attar factory owner in Barlekha, Maulvibazar, in a Business Standard Bangla report
Light manufacturing & workshopMoulvibazar
This agar-attar factory in Sujanagar, Barlekha, exports about 2 crore taka of product in a normal year. With Middle East flights grounded in Covid, 2020 ended with a loss of roughly 1 crore taka.
A home candle maker in Dighinala, Khagrachhari, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopKhagrachhari
A home candle unit in Dighinala turns out 1,000 candles a batch on 250 taka of material and sells them for 600. It carries the household, but nine years on there is still one machine.
A handmade soap maker in Narsingdi, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopNarsingdi
He began making soap by hand in 2007 with 60,000 taka. A first Japanese order in 2009 was worth USD 5,000 for about 50,000 pieces; the unit now exports around 50,000 soaps a year and employs 13 people.
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.
Handloom owners and workers in Belkuchi, Sirajganj, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopSirajganj
A cash crunch is closing looms in Belkuchi and nearby upazilas of Sirajganj. One weaver carries 3 lakh taka of debt; 112,500 looms are shut and about 225,000 workers are out of work.
A potter at Taleshwar Kumarpara, Bagerhat, in a Channel i Online report
Light manufacturing & workshopBagerhat
More than 200 families once worked clay at Taleshwar Kumarpara in Bagerhat; about 15 remain. One potter spends 15,000-16,000 taka a month on the work and is left with roughly 8,000.
A shitalpati weaver in Rajnagar, Maulvibazar, in a Business Standard Bangla report
Light manufacturing & workshopMoulvibazar
A weaver of forty years saw monthly sales fall from about 1 lakh taka to under 30,000-40,000, and his artisans from 30 to five. A shitalpati artisan never made more than 200-300 taka a day, so many left the trade.
Bamboo artisans in Debhata, Satkhira, in a Prothom Alo report
Light manufacturing & workshopSatkhira
About 50 artisans still work bamboo in Kora Pakratel village, Debhata. A basket costs 70-80 taka in materials and sells for 150, two a day; another artisan buys a woven tabra at 180 taka and sells it at 200.
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.