DHAKA, Dec 24, 2023 (BSS)- One makeshift kitchen market operated by women named  bow bazar has
changed the fate of distressed women in the Kushtapur area under the Mymensingh City Corporation.

Some women of two colonies named Malancha and Adarsha in the Kushtapur area started the
bow bazar around 30 years ago after discussing themselves to create an earning source.

All traders of the bow bazar are women. Most of the residents of these two colonies are rickshaw pullers and day labourers. Now women are contributing alongside their male partners to maintain their livelihood and also become self-reliant.

In the beginning, there were five-six shops in the bow bazar. Now the number is 130. As the
makeshift kitchen market operated by the small women entrepreneurs, it is called as bow bazar.

Sexagenarian Jahan Begum runs a fish shop at bow bazar. When she started the shop at the open
Ground, she had three small children. They couldn’t maintain their livelihood by only the earnings of her husband. In the beginning, Jahan Begum had a vegetable shop as she had little capital.

Later this self-dependent woman started a fish business as she had already made a handsome
profit from the vegetable business. Currently, the old age lady sells fish worth more than Tk
6,000 daily. Her grandchildren also work with her.

Small woman entrepreneur Halima Akter has been running a shop of dry fish at bow bazar for 10
years. She started the business with only Tk 300. She had to fight against her husband’s decision not to run a business at the beginning. However, Halima didn’t pay heed to this obstruction and challenged her husband Joynal Mia that she would earn enough to maintain the family.

Now the firmly committed woman is a successful businessperson at the bow bazar. Her husband, who once barred Halima, helps her now. Joynal collects the dry fish from the wholesale market and Halima sells those.

Residents of the  Malancha and Adarsha  colonies and low-income people of adjacent areas are
the main customers of the bow bazar. Low-income people can buy daily essentials from this
market at the cheapest rate.

New trader Mukta Akter runs a grocery shop in  bow bazar. She started the business one year
ago.

Many residents of the  colonies became inspired to see the women traders of the bow bazar. Mukta is one of them. Mukta, who is a resident of the Malancha colony started her shop with Tk 20,000 capital. Now she sells Tk 6-7 thousand daily and earns agood profit after expenditure.

Day labour Kawser Mia can’t work as he become paralyzed. He, along with his wife and three
children was suffering the most to maintain livelihood two years ago. Kawser’s wife Khodeza
Begum had taken the helm of the family at that time. She had no capital but started a fish
business at the bow bazar with an empty hand. Khodaza started bringing fish by taking credit
from the local lender. After selling the fish, she returns the money. Now the entrepreneur and her family are very happy with the earnings of their fish shop.

The 30-year-old bow bazar has changed the life of many women. They have become
self-reliant by running small businesses in this market. Rashida Begum is one of them. Her
husband passed away eight years ago.

 Rashida started a kitchen business at the bow bazar. She is well-off now. Her son studies at Mymensingh Commerce College. “I am a happy person now,” Rashida said.