An epitome of success

At one stage of life, she did not have money to pay the tuition fees for her college exams following marriage. She married against the will of her family which alienated her from the family in 2002. Her husband had a volatile career being a newly-appointed entry-level officer at a bank. When everything seemed to be going in the wrong direction, however, her tenacity and willpower to excel brought her to the place where she is today.

Shomana Sulatana Shathi, a successful entrepreneur of Pabna, now supplies embroidered dresses, cushion covers, window screens and other designed clothes to super shops including 'Aarong'. She has created work opportunities for underprivileged women.

After completing her Masters in Geology, she started her embroidery business in full swing.

Shathi, who hails from Patulipara village in Pabna's Vangura upazila, said she did not enough money to pay tuition fees when she followed a few of her relatives who had been producing handmade products for Aarong.

 "Since my early life, I had a creative bent of mind always trying to create something new. I designed two samples of clothes and took them to Aarong centre one day. They selected one of my designs and gave an order for 80 pieces of cushion covers and that was the beginning of the journey," she said.

Borrowing money from relatives and taking clothes and thread on credit from a shop, she delivered those in 20 days burning the midnight oil.

"The first payment inspired me to go ahead," she said.

"After the successful delivery of the first order, I got more orders and I had to take support from my relatives and neighbours who had no job," she said.

"Living in a small tin-shed room of Patulipara, I along with my husband started our embroidery business; half of the room was used as a factory. I single-handedly did everything including the design," she added.

"As orders increased, I involved more women of my village and outside. My husband left his job to join my business and we both worked together and thus SR Handicraft was launched in 2008," she said.

"Within few years, my business expanded and we built a two-storey building in which we used to live on the first floor and the factory work ran in the ground floor," she further said.

"Now, I have shifted my factory to Pabna town where 25 to 30 employees are working while over 400 female workers are working remotely across the country at present," she said.

"Over four hundred underprivileged village women from Vangura, Chatmohar and Sadar upazila in Pabna and Faridpur, Satkhira, Jashore and Chapainawabganj are working with me," she said.

After completing all necessary works, they supply products to Aarong, one of the biggest shopping chains in Bangladesh while few unique products are being sold online, she added.

 "Around 20 varieties of handicraft products are manufactured in SR Handicraft," Lipi Khatun, factory manager, said.

Monwar Hossain Rana, husband of Shathi, said," My wife was struggling alone so I left my job and joined hands with her. Now, we both are working together to make a difference."

Shathi epitomises success as an entrepreneur and in recognition of her work, she has received several awards including 'Joyeeta' award in Rajshahi division and Bangabandhu Industrial award.

Vangura municipality Mayor Golam Hasnayen Russel said the journey of Shathi may be inspiring for other women who can make a difference in the society.