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.

RAJSHAHI, April 25, 2026 (BSS) - Farmers across Rajshahi are passing busy days preparing sacrificial cattle ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, using both traditional and improved fattening methods as the festival draws near. In villages and commercial farms throughout the division, cattle are being raised with careful attention to nutrition and health. After meeting local demand, a significant number of these animals are later supplied to other parts of the country. With only about a month remaining before Eid-ul-Azha, farmers are intensifying care for livestock kept at household levels and on larger farms.  At the same time, cattle markets have begun to appear across all districts of the Rajshahi division, although traders and leaseholders say full-scale buying and selling activity will likely start within another week. In rural areas, many households are still raising one or two indigenous cattle, while commercial farms are focusing on fattening breeds such as Sahiwal, Sindhi, Red Chittagong, Pabna and Mir Kadim cattle for sacrificial purposes. According to the Department of Livestock Services, around 43 lakh sacrificial animals have been prepared in the Rajshahi division this year against a local demand of about 26 lakh. After fulfilling regional needs, nearly 17 lakh animals are expected to be transported to other parts of the country, particularly Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet. Farmers are using natural feed including straw, green grass, maize, oil cake and bran for fattening cattle, avoiding steroids or harmful chemicals, they say. Officials estimate that more than 100,000 animals have been prepared in over 1,500 farms in the division. Overall, over four lakh animals are ready for the upcoming Eid sacrifice, including a large number of cattle. Livestock rearing and cattle fattening have become an important part of the rural economy in Rajshahi, creating self-employment opportunities for unemployed youth and women. However, farmers have expressed concern over rising feed prices, which have increased production costs and may reduce profit margins this season.  In response, the Livestock Department is encouraging the use of online platforms for livestock trading to ensure fair prices for producers. Farmers have also urged buyers to purchase healthy animals raised through natural methods without artificial growth promoters or harmful injections. Demand for native breeds remains strong during Eid-ul-Azha, and these cattle are expected to reach markets in full volume within the next couple of weeks. Small farmers, however, say the rising cost of feed compared to previous years may push sacrificial animal prices higher this season. Md Jahangir Alam, a farmer from Naogaon Sadar Upazila, said he has been raising five native cattle for about a year using only grass, maize, wheat bran and local feed, which keeps the animals healthy and attractive to buyers. Another farmer named Jahid continued his family's livestock tradition and later expanded into commercial farming with his brothers on 12 kathas of land in Ronhat. Their farm now includes cattle as well as local and foreign goat and sheep breeds. This year, the farm has prepared 45 cattle for sacrifice, with six workers employed full-time. With Eid approaching, they are feeding the animals three to four times daily and maintaining intensive care routines. Workers at the farm said they are putting in extra effort hoping for a profitable season, especially during the Eid period. The farm currently holds livestock worth over Tk 10 million, with daily maintenance costs ranging between Tk 8,000 and Tk 15,000, according to sources. A worker at the farm said maintaining the cattle has become increasingly costly, though they continue working with hopes of good returns. Dr Zulfikar Akhtar Hossain, an official of the Department of Livestock Services, said Rajshahi division has a surplus of sacrificial animals compared to demand, and after meeting local needs, the excess will be sent to other parts of the country.