Starting with Two Thousand Taka, Sourav Now Sells Products Worth Lakhs Each Month

When he was a student in Class Ten, it was discovered that 27-year-old Sourav Mondal had a congenital defect in his oesophagus. Although treatment at home and in India saved his life, he had to discontinue his studies. At one point, his elder brother, a bank employee, gave him two thousand taka, and with that small amount Sourav transformed his life. Today, his handcrafted products are sold online across the country and abroad.

Sourav Mondal is the younger son of Manoranjan Mondal and Rita Rani Mondal from Nagora Baroipara village in Netrakona Sadar. His elder brother, Tanmoy Mondal, works at a private bank and currently lives in a rented flat on R K Mission Road in Mymensingh city.

Recognition through African Dolls
According to family sources, due to illness, Sourav had to stop studying in 2012 while in Class Ten. Later, spinal problems also appeared. The following year, he started sitting at a relative’s shop in Mymensingh, where he used his free time to make dolls from paper and clay for his home. After returning from treatment in India in 2019, doctors advised him to rest. His elder brother then gave him two thousand taka to create handicrafts. At first, Sourav made 12 African dolls. When he posted them on an online platform, buyers showed great interest and orders began pouring in.

Sourav set up a handicraft workshop on the Dapunia Chandarbazar Road in Mymensingh Sadar, renting a house for five thousand taka. There, five female workers create various products using jute, cardboard, glue sticks and Fevicol. Dolls, flower vases, pen holders, tissue boxes, wall mats, jute-made ornaments and different decorative items are crafted there.

Farzana Yasmin, one of the workers, said she has been working there for a year, earning three to four thousand taka monthly, which helps her provide pocket money for her children. Another worker, Jhuma Akter, whose husband is a rural physician, said she has been working there for nearly two years and the additional income has brought financial comfort to her family.

Sourav Has Made 150 Types of Products
Sourav said he received orders worth seven thousand taka after posting the first 12 dolls on Facebook. People’s appreciation increased his enthusiasm. Due to allergies to paint, he started working with jute from 2022. So far, he has made nearly 150 types of products.

Sourav never received formal training; he learned by observing his family members. His grandfather worked with wood, and his father made steel products—watching them inspired him to make things.

He collects raw materials from Dhaka, Faridpur and Narayanganj. His products are sold both online and at local fairs. He also runs a Facebook page named Ononnya. Though he started with two thousand taka, his current capital investment stands at five to six lakh taka. Each month, he sells products worth one lakh taka, leaving him with a monthly income of 20–30 thousand taka after expenses. His workshop has also created employment for nine women. His products have reached 12 to 13 countries, including the United States, Austria, Japan, Singapore and Qatar.

Despite health issues, he passed SSC through the Open University and is now in the second year of his degree programme. He dreams of expanding his business, opening a showroom and creating more employment opportunities.

Khaborwala/TSN