With Tk 20,000, Five Friends in Kurigram's Rajarhat Built a Chuijhal Puffed-Rice Business Selling Tk 10,000 a Day

After finishing their studies, five friends in Rajarhat, Kurigram, did not sit around waiting for jobs. Driven to do something on their own, they started a business selling puffed rice mixed with chuijhal spices. Their capital was just Tk 20,000. The venture has drawn a strong response in Rajarhat.

Every afternoon, people of all ages crowd their stall beside the railway line at Rajarhat market to buy the puffed rice. Sales run at about Tk 10,000 worth of puffed rice every day.

The five entrepreneur friends are Nur Alam, Nahid Hasan, Alamin, Monir Hossain and Ferdous Ahmed. All five are highly educated. Nur Alam and Nahid Hasan completed post-graduate studies at Kurigram Government College. The other three completed honours degrees at Mir Ismail Hossain College in Rajarhat. All of them live in Rajarhat and nearby areas.

They took up the venture at the beginning of last October to create their own employment. Every morning they prepare the puffed-rice spice mix at home. From collecting ingredients to making the spice mix, all of them take part in every task. Around 4 pm they bring the ingredients to the rail-gate area of Rajarhat market and sell the mixed puffed rice there until 10 pm.

Nur Alam said, 'We are all educated. We have a plan to launch a company. But we don't have that amount of money. So for now we have taken this initiative to arrange our own daily income and to understand each other as business partners.'

Monir Hossain said, 'Each of us put in four thousand taka, and we started this journey with a total of Tk 20,000. We sell about Tk 10,000 worth of puffed rice every day, making a profit of three and a half to four thousand taka daily. With this income, after our own daily expenses, we can also support our families. We plan to set up a company together in the coming days.'

The five friends have tried to present the ordinary puffed-rice mix in a different way. Combining local chuijhal, garlic and their own special spice blend with the puffed rice, they have created a distinctive food. The heat of the chui and the distinct aroma of garlic have added a new dimension to the mix, which has quickly attracted food lovers in Rajarhat.

They pay attention not only to taste but also to hygiene in serving. For that they use food-grade paper to serve the puffed rice. Every day, students from nearby schools and colleges and people of various ages come to their stall. Some eat the puffed rice sitting at the stall; others take parcels home for family members or loved ones.

Nahid Hasan said, 'Chui is cultivated in our area. But people here don't eat chui much. This chui goes to the south of the country. We are trying to add a variation in taste by mixing puffed rice with chuijhal. Alhamdulillah, people have warmly accepted our initiative. Many people come here every day.'

The entrepreneurs said they need 23 to 25 kilograms of puffed rice every day. They collect chui, a key ingredient, locally. Garlic, various spices and serving materials have to be bought. According to the five friends, an average of about 500 customers buy their mixed puffed rice daily.

Ferdous Ahmed said, 'Our venture is not just a business of selling puffed rice; it is an attempt to stand on our own feet.'

Md Abdur Rashid, deputy director of the Kurigram Department of Youth Development, said the initiative of creating their own employment instead of chasing jobs after their studies is commendable. If these young men want to take training from his office and set up an enterprise for employment, he said, the Department of Youth Development will create that opportunity.