From Struggles to Success: The Inspiring
Journey of Shahana Akter Khushi

Shahana Akter Khushi, from Faridpur, turned from a housewife into a successful entrepreneur through determination and resilience. Despite early marriage, financial hardship, and her husband’s serious accident, she never gave up. With support from SDC and her own effort, she started a small rickshaw garage business. Gradually, she expanded it through hard work and smart planning. Today, she runs a growing business and creates job opportunities for others.

The Main Story:

In 2008, at the age of just 15, Shahana Akter Khushi was married to Syed Tabeebur Rahman of Joypasha village under Boalmari upazila. Emotionally unprepared for marriage, she silently adjusted to her new life while carrying the burden of adolescence. Her husband worked as a mason and also ran a small mobile food stall selling fuchka, chotpoti, luchi, alur dom and chola bhuna, with Shahana helping by preparing food at home.

In 2010, she became the mother of her first daughter, Avonti, followed by her second daughter, Srabonti in 2012. With growing responsibilities, Shahana began dreaming of a better future for her children and a more stable life. In 2015, while she was pregnant again, tragedy struck when her husband met with a severe road accident just before Eid-ul-Fitr. His injuries were critical, and doctors initially feared for his life.

In 2016, she gave birth to a son. Despite partial recovery of her husband, the family remained in financial crisis. Her father later provided land and a tin-shed house for their shelter, but sustaining the family remained difficult. To survive, Shahana sold her gold chain and took a BDT 20,000 loan from SDC to buy two old rickshaws. This marked the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey. Alongside rickshaw income, she also practiced handicrafts such as Nakshi Kantha, quilt stitching, and other hand embroidery work.

To survive, Shahana sold her gold chain and took a BDT 20,000 loan from SDC to buy two old rickshaws. This marked the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey. Alongside rickshaw income, she also practiced handicrafts such as Nakshi Kantha, quilt stitching, and other hand embroidery work.

Gradually, she expanded her rickshaw business by taking regular loans from SDC and reinvesting her income. Later, under the RAISE project, she received a BDT 2,50,000 loan and purchased electric bikes along with additional rickshaws. Over time, her assets grew to around 30 motor rickshaws, 2 electric bikes, and livestock including goats, ducks, chickens, and pigeons.

Today, Shahana’s husband has recovered significantly and supports her in managing the business. She also completed a 16-day entrepreneurship training under the RAISE project, which changed her perspective on business growth and employment creation. Now she dreams of establishing a permanent garage on her own land and continues to seek support from SDC, PKSF, and the World Bank to achieve her goal.