Photo: BSS

DHAKA, April 25, 2026 (BSS) - Kalpana Rani, an ordinary housewife in Jhalakathi, shows how a poor woman can be a successful entrepreneur overcoming all odds. 

Kalpana started a small enterprise with a capital of only Taka 10,000 and now she has a business of over Taka 10 millions. Her journey is a unique example of struggle, courage, sacrifice and determination.

Women's economic participation in Bangladesh is increasing day by day. Many women are establishing themselves as entrepreneurs, overcoming various adversities, social barriers and family challenges. 

Kalpana Rani's story is a real reflection of that change. She has not only made herself self-reliant, but has also created employment opportunities for many more women.

Recently, during a visit to Jhalakathi, she was talking about becoming an entrepreneur while sitting at 'Swarna Packaging' in the town. 

Kalpana said that she decided to become an entrepreneur about 20 years ago out of the urge to alleviate the poverty of her family. At that time, she did not have any big capital or business experience. 

Kalpana took a loan from a local non-governmental organization (NGO) and started making paper packets from home with just Taka 10,000. It started on a very small scale, she added.

"The initial days were very difficult. Many in the society did not give importance to my initiative. Many thought that it was not possible to achieve anything big by doing such work. But I didn't stop. I continued to work relentlessly, keeping my goal in mind. And it is this determination and confidence that has brought me to where I am today," said forty-year-old Kalpana Rani, with great confidence.

Expressing her gratitude to her husband she said, "My husband Bimal Debnath has played a big role in this journey. He has supported and encouraged me from the very beginning. This family support has given me the courage to move forward. Gradually, the scope of my work started to increase, and the small venture started to take shape into an organized business."

Currently, her packaging factory, called 'Swarna Packaging', has been set up in a rented house in the College Road area of ??Jhalakathi town. She named the company after his younger daughter. Here, various types of paper packets are made, which are mainly used for food packaging - especially for biryani, sweets and other foods.

This factory produces various types of packets of half-kg, one-kg, one-and-a-half-kg and two-kg capacity. The products produced are not only limited to the four upazilas of Jhalakathi, but are also supplied to various areas of surrounding districts such as Barguna and Pirojpur.

Kalpana's husband Bimal said that currently, the products are regularly sent to many shops and businesses in Bamna, Betagi, Bhandaria and Naikathi areas. 

Regarding the packet making process, he said that the packet making process is completed in several steps. First, large paper is cut to a specific size. Then it is trimmed with a cutting press machine. Then the packets are made using folding, glue and stapler. The paper used as raw material is mainly collected from paper companies in Barisal and Dhaka. These packets are sold in the market at prices ranging from Taka 4 to Taka 13.

Currently, the factory of 'Swarna Packaging' has a cutting machine and a roller machine. Production activities are being carried out using these machines. 

Six women work directly in the factory. In addition, five more women work from home to make packets. There are also three male workers in the factory.

Many women working in her organization were previously unemployed. Some of them have been abandoned by their husbands or have family problems. Now they earn about Taka 500 per day, which plays an important role in supporting their families.

Kalpana Rani told this reporter that she is proud to be able to do something for the women who work for her. She tries to give opportunities to those who are looking for work. This allows them to earn an income themselves and help with family responsibilities, she added. 

Seema Debnath, who works at Kalpana's organization, said, "We are benefiting from working here. We earn about Taka 500 per day, which helps us meet our family expenses."

After 20 years of hard work, Kalpana Rani's business turnover has now reached nearly Taka one crore. 

However, despite this success, there are various limitations and challenges. The condition of the rented house where the factory is currently operating is not very good. Being in a low-lying area, water accumulates during rains, resulting in the risk of raw materials. 

She said that rent is not easily available in residential areas, resulting in the lack of suitable space, which is hampering production activities. If a good and safe place had been found, the working environment would have been better and it would have been possible to increase production, she added.

Jhalakathi District Women Affairs Officer Dilara Khanam said that women are now coming forward in various fields and the government is conducting various training and support programmes to improve their skills. Entrepreneurs like Kalpana Rani are further strengthening this progress, she added. 

Stating that there is an opportunity to allocate plots for small and medium entrepreneurs, Jhalakathi BSCIC Deputy Director Md. Al Amin said that if an application is made through the prescribed process, it is considered. BSCIC provides various types of support to advance women entrepreneurs, he added.