Sheikh Akij Uddin is the owner of one of the largest industrial families in Bangladesh. They began his life as a little street vendor. According to his commentary, he left home in 1942 with only 18 rupees from his father, his destination being Kolkata. He took refuge at Sealdah station in Kolkata. He would look for work all day and at night he would lay down on the paper at the station. He had six paise for his daily meal, but he did not have the money to spend more. Biographies of Successful Entrepreneurs: From Zero to Top
Zero to Top
Within a few days, he became very worried because the money was running out fast but he had not yet found a suitable job. In the meantime he met a local hotel owner near the railway station, the gentleman gave him shelter on one side of his hotel. He gave up his job and started thinking of starting a business but he did not have enough capital to start a business. After much thought, he started a business selling oranges. He bought oranges and lemons at wholesale prices with a small profit and sold them by ferry near Howrah Bridge. However, he had to pay a bribe of two rupees to the police.
He found another business in which he had to learn Hindi for a mobile grocery store business and in a short time he mastered the Hindi language so his business froze but another danger happened and one day the police caught him. He was jailed for three days and fined.
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He came back home from jail. Within a few days, both his parents died and he was only 19 years old. She befriended the famous Bidhubhushan’s son at that time. That’s when the idea of selling came to mind. He first started the bidi business in 1952. He started working with two more employees besides him and found a lot of profit in a few days. He set up a grocery store next to the railway station in the Bejerdanga area. According to his commentary. In 1954, his total investment amounted to 80,000 rupees. He became a fakir again but he started again believing that he had not lost his morale.
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He re-established the new shop with the help of acquaintances. Within a few days, he became the owner of lakhs of rupees again. Then he started selling paddy, jute, rice, pulses, etc., the capital of the business was to trust him without hesitation. He moved to Navara Bazaar on the border of Jessore in the seventies, during which time he was assisted by a prominent local businessman Biswas and he expanded his bidi business. Akij Bidi Factor was established. Then one by one Akij Tobacco Factory, Akij Navigesh: Akij Jute Mill, Akij Match Factor: Akij Cement Factory, etc. were established. Besides, he has set up some social service organizations and at present, about 40,000 employees are working in his organization.
As a child, he witnessed the plight of the poor and disadvantaged. So he always tries to do something for the common people of the area. Honestly, he had no formal education but his hard work and honesty brought him to where he is today.
(2) Abdul Khaleq Pathan: From truck driver to the industrialist
Abdul Khaleq Pathan, owner of Keya Cosmetics, one of the best in Bangladesh. He started his life by selling chocolates and biscuits on the side of the road. Then the truck driver.
When he was in school, he used to buy chocolate biscuits with the money saved by Tiffin. Then he would set up shop on the side of the road and sell. He had some profit and he fell in love with that profit. He started the chicken business with his friend. Used to buy chickens from the local market and sell them in distant markets. He did not spend money on profits from joint ventures and as a result, his capital increased. No one in his family liked the chicken business. So he bought chickens and kept them at his friend’s house. One day his friend said that the chickens were taken away by the foxes. His friend tried to seduce him with some chicken wings and Maya crying but he could not understand. She broke down in tears. He thought I understood and could no longer be a businessman.
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A few days later, he went to his grandparents’ house and raised some money. He started the business again with a new venture.
He later passed matriculation in 1986 and got married. His wife handed him the 800 rupees he had saved and with this money, he gave me a new dream. He started a business of buying and selling firewood. Then his wife handed him some of his jewelry and sold it for 5,000 rupees. Rui leased a pond and released fish fry, but it would take at least three years for the fish to grow. He could not bear it so he sold everything in one year. He started a timber business again and then he took a job with a salary of 800 rupees but he could not work there for a long time.
After leaving his job, he bought a truck from Pragati and paid 40,000 rupees in advance. If you keep the driver, you will learn to drive a truck in 15 days. The driver is on duty during the day and at night he drives the truck himself. Thus, in six months, he made a big capital and kept it in Pubali Bank. Biographies of Successful Entrepreneurs: From Zero to Top
Zero to Top
One day a bank official said that we would give a loan if we needed a brick kiln. He bought the land, this time the bank will not give the loan. He was in great danger. Then his father-in-law helped him. He gave a loan of two lakh rupees and the next year he got three lakh rupees from Sonali Bank. Then the brick kiln became five, now bricks worth around Tk 2 crore are made there every year.
He then planned a knitting business but the bank would not lend. That’s why a bank official said you just pass the metric, doing brick business. Knitting business 100% export business, you have to talk to foreign buyers in English – you can’t do that. He explained that buyers from abroad would check the quality of the goods, whether I knew English or not, and that I would have people who knew English, but the ice did not melt. Biographies of Successful Entrepreneurs: From Zero to Top
Zero to Top
He later bought eighteen knitting machines from India and started the work in full swing. At one point the people of the bank realized that they could work on this line without knowing English. To be successful, the bank authorities were kind and after seeing everything, they gave him a loan of one crore and five lakh rupees. He breathed a sigh of relief as his industry now exports clothes worth Rs 40 crore every year. About three thousand people have been employed there. Then he started making cosmetics with coconut oil, then powder.
He thinks there is no substitute for honesty and hard work, success will come. Always remember that you can never grow up cheating others. He reminded her that he was a friend of the chicken business but still remained a factory worker. Biographies of Successful Entrepreneurs: From Zero to Top