I ran to Pabna in search of a woman named Banishikha. When I saw her on the afternoon of November 17, 2021, she was wearing slippers and holding a water pipe in her hand, washing and cleaning her cowshed. The tin-framed cowshed has a paved floor and a bamboo fence around it. It is much like a garden fence. There is free passage of light and air. The sun is shining on her face through the gaps in the thatched roof. The sweat of hard work that had gathered on his forehead was shining like pearls in the sun. Next to the cowshed was a small shed for raising goats. The biogas production infrastructure was peeking out from the northwestern edge of the yard. He knew we would come, but he still seemed a little nervous when he saw us! He threw the water pipe he was holding on the floor and ran into the house to make arrangements for us to sit down. Some time ago, her husband, who had broken his leg in a road accident, came out of the house on crutches and greeted us. We were delighted by the friendly greetings of a fighting couple.
The team of agriculture and livestock officers of Sidip, who provide training and advice to SMAP loanees, along with skills and technology, was the one who found this successful cattle farm for Salma Khatun. Salma Khatun (38) is proud of the success of the cattle farm she has built in Pailanpur village in Gunaigacha union of Chatmohar upazila of Pabna district. This area is affected by the Chalan Bill. Most of the cultivated land remains under water for six months. In search of alternative livelihoods, I think that is why the people of this area have turned to cattle farms. The lion's share of the country's milk production is done by the people of Pabna and Sirajganj districts. Salma Khatun and her husband Md. Azizul Haque (42) have also walked that path. However, behind their choice of this path and their enviable success in it, there is a glorious story of a fearless struggle for life. A story that inspires others to take the lead in development. Sidip always helps such entrepreneurs in various ways. The same thing happened with Salma Khatun. She has always had Sidip by her side in her development efforts. Both Salma and Azizul are grateful to Sidip for this. Sidip says that he helps entrepreneurs by providing various services to make their ventures successful. Salma frankly said that she and her husband feel confident that they will always have Sideep by their side to fulfill their desires.
Salma Khatun has had to face severe obstacles in fulfilling her desires. She came from her father's family and from there to her husband's family. Her father's house is in Ankutia village of Chatmohar upazila. Her father is a retired army officer. She is the second of four sisters and one brother. The brother is the youngest of all. Salma passed her SSC in 2004. There was a lot of competition among the sisters regarding their studies and various subjects. So in 2006, Md. After marrying Azizul Haque, she lived a life of despair. After marriage, Azizul admitted her to HSC and she started dreaming anew. But it didn't take long for that dream to fade. Despite her husband's support, the environment at her in-laws' house was hostile to her wish.
Azizul had four brothers and five sisters. All of them studied in schools and colleges. He was the second among the brothers. The elder brother worked in Ansar. Along with his studies, Azizul used to look after his father's fields and farms, and took care of the family's oxen and dairy cows. His younger brother joined the army later, and his youngest brother later got a job in the Gramin Bank. His maternal uncle used to hinder Salma's studies in many ways. They also studied. But they didn't want their children to study like them. So, out of jealousy, they used to keep her busy all the time with cooking and various household chores so that she couldn't study. Salma couldn't even tell anyone anything because her husband was away. Her husband was working in a garment factory in Chittagong at that time. After her HSC results were bad, Azizul got a job as a quality inspector in a garment factory in Dhaka through a relative a few years ago. She was paid only 1,200 taka. He could barely cover his expenses in Dhaka, and he could not send any money home. Hearing about the opportunities offered by foreign garments in the Chittagong EPZ from a colleague, he contacted them and got a job in a Korean garment factory. Although he received a higher salary and allowances, his rank was reduced. He had to accept the condition of working as a helper. After two years, he became a supervisor in the packing section. There was no overtime on Fridays, and the facilities were like those of a government job. The owner would also provide food at noon. Many people refused to give food and asked to pay for it, but the owner would say, "We can't give them money." If Bengalis get money, they will eat bread and tea in the afternoon. Their body strength will decrease. I want work, so I have to keep my body strong by feeding them. Azizul got married in 2006. At that time, he was working in a garment factory in Chittagong. He had admitted his wife to college. But the hostile environment of his in-laws' house had absorbed all of Salma's interest in studying for years. She promised to go to Chittagong with her husband. Azizul had to agree. He rented a small house and took Salma with him. Azizul did not want to spend time with Salma alone when he went to work. He started tutoring the younger children. After two months, Salma also took a job in a garment factory. She earned a salary of 2,800 taka per month. Their family was doing quite well. Azizul said that if he could not send money home, he would even be able to buy land in Chittagong with his colleagues. But one day, when the owner proudly told them that he had made a profit of 700 crore taka in a year, an irresistible desire to stand on his own feet arose in Azizul's mind. He asked himself, "If the owner is earning 700 crores per year from our hard work, then why am I not building my own future with my own hard work?" He discussed the matter with his wife. Realizing that it is best to build our own future with our own work, they came to the firm decision that they would quit their garment jobs and do something on their own when they come home. And that is what they did.
