Photo: BSS

By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, Jan 26, 2025 (BSS) - Following the path of perseverance, patience
and hard work, 36-year-old entrepreneur Md Abdul Bari has set a shining
example of breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and achieving self-reliance.
 
Bari was born into a very poor family in remote Muhuripara village of Betgari
union in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur.
 
Since childhood, he struggled indescribably to survive with his nine family
members in extreme poverty.
 
The poor Bari has now become an icon among local youth by becoming self-
reliant.
 
Bari's father, Md Mahtab Uddin, was a Khadem at Betgari Jam-e-Mosque. He
earned a little by spraying pesticides in paddy fields of other farmers. But
his income was not enough to support his family. He died in 2021.
 
Bari's mother, Shahar Banu, 70, is now tired of age. Bari is the third of
three sons and four daughters of his parents.
 
Bari's elder brother Shakhawat Hossain Shaheen, 50, and younger brother Md
Shahjahan, 30, work at Dhaka as drivers in separate private companies.
 
All of Bari's four sisters are living with their husbands after marriage.
 
Due to poverty, Bari had to work as a laborer and domestic worker in tea
shops and houses to support his family while he was a second-grade student.
While in fifth grade, he supported his family by tutoring local students.
 
Bari now runs his four businesses. These include Union Digital Centre (UDC),
a nursery, an online banking centre and an electrical goods shop where eight
people are employed now.
 
While talking to BSS recently, Bari narrated his success story. Due to
poverty, his family members used to go hungry in those days.
 
One day, Bari met Shahinur Rahman Pintu, a businessman from nearby Bakshiganj
Bazar, who was his previous acquaintance.
 

Pintu advised him to acquire computer skills. In 2001, when Bari was in
seventh grade, Pintu gave him a Pentium-4 desktop computer that he used.
 
Bari said, "Even though I didn't know how to use a computer, I brought it
home. Soon I learned to operate a computer myself."
 
Meanwhile, Bari passed the SSC exam (Science) from local Dhontola Reaz Uddin
School and College in 2004.
 
But due to poverty, he couldn't continue studies after passing the SSC exam.
Later, he passed the HSC (Commerce) exam in 2009 and completed bachelor's
degree (Commerce) in 2014.
 
In 2002, Bari learned photography processes including taking pictures, film
processing and photocopying from the local 'Ananda Studio' at Betgari Bazar.
Later, he learned digital photography.
 
Bari said, "In 2003, I opened a shop 'Nishi Computers' in Betgari Bazar.
Later, I started the business of mobile banking, agent banking and selling
electric goods in the same shop to earn better."

In 2010, the then chairman of Betgari union parishad, Md Nurul Amin,
appointed Bari as the entrepreneur of the newly established Betgari UDC. This
was an important turning point in Bari's life.
 
Bari said, "Later, another female entrepreneur, Ferdousi Khatun, was
appointed to the UDC. Together, we started providing services to the locals.
Initially, the daily income was only between Taka 150 and Taka 300."
 
Income started increasing from 2015/2016 when the number of services at the
UDC was increased. The income ranged between Taka 15,000 and Taka 20,000 per
month.
 
As the number of service recipients continued to increase, Bari appointed two
more assistants to his UDC in 2017/2018. People now receive 130 types of
services there.
 
Bari said, "Currently, the average monthly net income from the UDC stands at
Taka 30,000, excluding the monthly salary of Taka 30,000 of three assistants
and other expenses of Taka 15,000."
 
Meanwhile, Bari is running online agent banking with two banks and bCash,
Rocket, Nagad and Upay mobile banking services at his shop. His total annual
transactions there are around Taka three crore.
 
Bari said, "I earn Taka 20,000 every month from mobile and online agent
banking services, excluding Taka 15,000 monthly salary of two employees." He
also earns some income by selling electrical goods at the same shop.
 
By this time, Bari started his nursery business on two acres of land in
nearby Khafrikhal Sarderpara village in 2019.
 

Bari said, "Currently, the nursery has about 30,000 growing saplings of 45
species of various timber, fruit, flower and medicinal plants. The minimum
price of these saplings can be Taka 30 lakh."

Bari has sold saplings worth Taka 15 lakh so far. He hopes to sell saplings
worth Taka six lakh this year. Four men and a woman are working in the
nursery and they are getting a daily wage of Taka 400 each.
 
"I earn a net profit of Taka 20,000 every month from nursery, excluding all
expenses," said Bari.
 
Bari said his average monthly income from UDC, computer cum electrical goods
shop, mobile banking and online agent banking, excluding all expenses, is now
around Taka 70,000.
 
"If I get an easy loan of Taka 80 lakh, I can re-launch a computer training
programme at my UDC. I will be able to start a cattle farm and Napier grass
cultivation project and create jobs by expanding mobile and agent banking,"
he said.
 
After falling in love with Munni Khatun, 32, from a nearby village, Bari
married her in 2015.
 
Munni Khatun completed her master's degree in 2018 and is currently working
as an entrepreneur with Bari at Betgari UDC.
 
The happy couple has a daughter, Afia Ibnat Muskan, 6, and a son, Anas, 2.
The Bari-Munni couple is living happily with their mother Shahar Banu and two
children.
 
Talking to BSS, Betgari union parishad chairman Mohaimin Islam Maruf said
that Abdul Bari has brought glory to the area through his overall
performance, success in managing UDC and providing services to people.
 
He said, "Apart from achieving self-reliance, Bari has become an ideal
entrepreneur for the educated youth of the area to overcome poverty through
own initiatives and become self-reliant."