Success and failure stories

From sharecropping and rickshaw pulling to Tk 25,000 a month from medicinal plants; Tk 15 lakh of plants sold a year

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.

Started in 2007

Pens made for Tk 6 and notebooks for Tk 15, sold at Tk 10 and Tk 20; Tk 3,000–4,000 a month

A visually impaired young man in Gaibandha began making notebooks in 2023 and then paper pens to pay for his studies. Monthly sales from a small bazaar shop are Tk 9,000–10,000, but income after costs is only Tk 3,000–4,000.

Started in 2023

A dragon fruit orchard built for about Tk 20 lakh; expecting Tk 15–16 lakh a year, Tk 12 lakh already earned this year

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.

Capital

৳20 lakh

Started in 2020

From a Tk 400-a-month studio worker to his own computer and printing shop; now Tk 30,000–40,000 a month after costs

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.

From 13 cattle to 45 cattle and 52 buffalo in a decade; the buffalo alone would fetch about Tk 1.25 crore

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.

Started in 2016

Two bulls of 22 and 18 maund, raised for 3 years, still unsold before Eid; below Tk 15 lakh means a loss

A farmer in Bhola raised two huge bulls on local feed for about three years, but just before Eid he had not found a buyer at his price. Big-bull buyers are few in Bhola's markets, and feed prices have gone up.

Ran for

36 months

A cycle shop of 40–50 household items, Tk 500–700 in daily sales; three daughters married in 18 years

A peddler in the coastal villages of Khulna has run a cycle-mounted shop of bowls, pitchers, toys and cosmetics for 18 years. The daily sales have kept the family going and married off three daughters, but the monsoon mud makes the work hard.

Ran for

216 months

'Black Baby' watermelon on 33 decimals: Tk 55,000 spent, Tk 1.12 lakh sold

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.

Capital

৳55k

Ran for

4 months

Started in 2023

Tk 55,000 spent on 60 decimals; Tk 3 lakh of summer tomatoes sold so far

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.

Capital

৳55k

Started in 2023

Freshwater bagda shrimp: a Tk 5 lakh loss in 2022 when the aerator failed, then 80 maund from one acre

When a river dried up and brought no more saline water, a farmer in Dumuria, Khulna, began growing bagda shrimp in a freshwater pond in 2019. After a Tk 5 lakh loss in 2022, he harvested about 80 maund from one acre in 2023, with a profit of nearly double his costs.

Started in 2019

A 460-species garden earning at least Tk 4 lakh a year: 609 plants couriered, Tk 30,000-35,000 a month

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.

Started with Tk 300; 100 kg of beef pickle a month, earning Tk 3-4 lakh a month

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.

Capital

৳300

Started in 2020