Bannya, a name of successful woman entrepreneur

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Six years ago, Masuda Sarkar Bannya, a woman from Gurudaspur upazila of Natore district, was just a housewife.

Today, she is a successful woman entrepreneur owning a garment factory in the capital city where she created jobs for nearly 100 workers.

Bannya, who came to Dhaka five years back with her husband and almost empty hands, made it happen through her hard work, sincerity, dedication, perseverance, courage, honesty and love to employees.

"From my very childhood, I dreamt to do something for the distressed humanity in our society....to fulfill my dream I came to Dhaka in 2012 with a swing machine and started tailoring works at a tiny room in my rented house," Bannya said.

Initially, she started making women's and children's outfits like three pieces, skirts, tops, shirt, trousers and veils with her own design.

With the span of time, she became familiar among the customers, so her income was gradually increasing and business was expanding. She was not happy with her small scale business since her dream was to touch the sky.

"Those who know how to dreaming, they can snatch the successes keeping behind all obstacles," said Bannya. To fulfill her sky limit dream, Bannya thoughts to expand her business and for this, she took training from Social Welfare Department.

She secured Golden (A plus) in her training that inspired her to work in a full-swing to materialize her dream. As a result, she procured three more swing machines and recruited two women workers and a male worker.

Bannya used to buy clothes from the city's Islampur and Sadarghat markets and make dresses through her own design. She then contacted with various showrooms and shops for marketing those dresses. She was earning Taka 70,000 to 80,000 per months by selling those products.

Later, with her deposited money, she rented a floor of a garment factory in Mirppur-2 and appointed 25 workers and she started making export-oriented garment products through sub-contacts. Her business started expanding gradually.

She gave her business establishment name as "Bannya Fashion House" where 70 workers including 46 women have been working at present. Bannaya is paying more than Taka 500,000 monthly as salary of workers.

Bannya has set a unique example like other successful entrepreneurs by taking huge competition and challenges. Now, she becomes a change maker in society.

Salma, Ratna and Tamanna, the three women workers of 'Bannya Fashion House' said this fashion house is continued to expanding day by day as workers are happy with the owner. They said they fell secured by working in "Bannya Fashion House" under a woman ownership.

They said that like other garment factory, they had to work from 8 am to 5 pm and there is bonus system for extra works.

When contacted Bannya said, "Women can contribute in their society if they work with utmost sincerity, dedication and honesty". Government's support is crucial to encourage women entrepreneurs in this sector, she added.

Masuda Sarkar Bannya said the women entrepreneurs can contribute more to the country's economy if they get chance to run their business in different industrial areas across the country.

Bannya's husband Sajib Ahhmed said that he was helping his spouse from the very beginning of her business. "We are working together for expanding our business," he said, adding Bannya is really a change maker and she is the inspiration of all womenfolk in the country. –BSS

(Dhakatimes/05May/ZU)