The New Nation - Internet Edition

MD. Mahbubur Rahman Bulbul

It is quite possible if a man or woman can do hard work and to get proper financial assistance for becoming a self-sustainable through any Bank or any financial Institutions, certainly she will go to a great success in life. In Bangladesh, job oppertunity is not available here. It may be for Government or Non-government sector. But every person in Bangladesh does not want to live as a jobless. Everybody has need a job for staying here.There are huge number of projects in Bangladesh for self-sustainability of a man or woman. Just need for this purpose proper initiative and financial support as per requirement. It is prime duty of Bangladesh banking sector to do wel-stublished them by financial assistance. But all goernment and non-government banks are fully failure for this purpose. Honourable Governor of Bangladesh Bank Dr. Shaleh Uddin Ahmed recently said with his speech at a seminer that NGO sector in Bangladesh are playing a vital role and they are giving their best financial assistance for creating development projects. Many kinds of important projects, fishery project is a very profitable and potential sector in Bangladesh among them to build-up a huge number of men or women entrepreneurs and to reduce poverty from Bangladesh. All men or women entrepreneurs get loan from NGOs by very easy way. The loan disburshing system of NGOs is very flexible. But Bureaucratic system of government or non-government bank is a main problem there. There are huge number of successful case stories whose became self-dependent by own initiative with NGO's financial support. Here a very successful case story of a woman micro entrepreneur who is an example that others can follow.

Microcredit could help millions of poor women to become self-sustainable and to support own family and the employees working in their projects. Ayesha Begum is a very happy and successful woman micro entrepreneur in Bnagladesh who became rich by starting Fishery project within a very short time. She is 47 years old. The name of her husband is Md. Shafar Uddin.

Her husband was a former member of Madanpur Union Porishad of Narayangonj district. He is a very popular powerful person of Madanpur area. Once, she was purely a house wife and poor. But she turned herself into a model to others by earning a very good amount of taka by selling different kinds of fish from her well established fishery project.

The name of her project is "Ayesha fishery project". It is her own project. Her academic background is upto class seven. She obtained unofficial special Degree on fishery project and she has been recognised by fisheries ministry of Bangladesh government for her great achievement. She had a great ambition about her life. She tried herself heart and soul to get a better work to stublished her family by several time. She became frustrated for not getting a suitable source of income. From that time, she took decision; she will do something in her life by self initiative.

She got married with her husband in 1990. Their conjugal life was not happy at the initial stage. They faced a lot of financial crisis. Just then, she came into touch with ASA, Madanpur Branch in Narayanganj district. First time, she got 15,000 taka from that Branch as a small female borrower in 1993. With that financial support, Ayesha started her new road map of her life. She started a fishery project in her husband's own landing area in Fulhar area of Madanpur under Bandar Thana of Narayanganj district. Gradually, she got micro loan from ASA Madanpur Branch 20,000, 25,000, 30,000 and lastly 40,000 taka. Branch Manager Md. Shafi Uddin Sheikh encouraged to build-up her fishery project every time. She is a successful mother of 2 daughters. She has been living with her family in Madanpur area of Naraynganj district for a long time. Now, she is very rich and self-sustainable women. But her previous financial condition was not rich and satisfactory. When she had needed big amount to develop her project then she got a big financial support from "ASA Madanpur Branch" of Narayanganj.

That was her turning point to positive change in her life style. At first she got 50,000/ taka as a big amount from ASA under SEL loan program in 2003. Gradually, she increased her project day by day by the profit of her business. Now she is well established and self-sustainable woman. ASA local concern authority was highly pleased with her fishery project. Lastly Ayesha Begum got 2 lakhs taka from ASA, Madanpur Branch of Narayanganj district as a Small Entrepreneur Lending (SEL) loan for investing her project. She invested that amount with all cooperation of her husband in her Fishery project and yielded good profit.

There are many kinds of fishes in her project, like as Katla, Ruee, Mrigal, Boal, Pungas, Silver curb, puti etc. are available in her different kinds of pond of her project area. She always busy with her business. She arranges all formalities for selling fishes per a week and sells as a hole by big profit. She has 15 fish ponds in her project area. She has own 5 fish ponds and she has taken liege from any other persons 10 ponds. Number of 30 workers are doing job in her fishery project. After all cost, she gets profit from her project 80,000 taka per month.

She has done all things for her family and residance by the profit of her project. She is not pleased to other NGO's and Bank. She is involed with only ASA's activities. She is always pleased to ASA's authority for the financial assistance under SEL loan program. District Manager Md. Mahmud Kadir Talukder and Additional District manager Md. Mahbubul Alam played a vital role to develop her project. It's a very successful story for any women micro entrepreneurs in Bangladesh as for example.

In this way, there are big MFIs in Bangladesh whose are playing vital role for creating a huge number of women micro entrepreneurs and empowerment of Women by their micro finance assistance. Among them- ASA, BRAC, GRAMIN Bank, BURO Tangail, Jagoroni Chakraw TMSS etc. are very popular and effective MFI in Bangladesh. ASA is one of them who is the largest MFI in the world. Here, it is very essential to explain that recently, ASA being included in the prestigious Forbes' Magazine first-ever list of the world's Top 50 Microfinance Institution (MFI). It is a tribute to ASA's outstanding work and devotion over the years. The fact that the second position has gone to Bandhan which has been nurtured by ASA says a lot about the sustainability and scalability of ASA's model. ASA provides number of six loan products in Bangladesh very successfully.

Small Entrepreneurs Lending (SEL) loan is one of them. It is very effective and successful loan program for building-up women empowerment and women micro entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. Men and women, both are highest benefited from ASA's SEL program. It is proved by many case stories in Bangladesh. Specially, a large number of women in Bangladesh is highest benefited and to built-up them self-sustainable by the financial assistance of ASA's SEL loan program. Now in Bangladesh, ASA is providing their microfinance program to 80 lacks poor and helpless people through their 4000 Branches.