BSS, Rajshahi:

Three potential women entrepreneurs were given input support aimed at expanding their businesses along with making those profitable and sustainable.

On behalf of its ‘Smallholder Agricultural Competitiveness Project (SACP)’, the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) provided the support at its office premises here on Sunday.

DAM Divisional Deputy Director Shahana Akter Jahan accompanied her subordinate colleagues distributed the assistance free of cost for establishing market stands.

Each of the entrepreneurs was given a van, an umbrella, six carets, a measuring device, a mat and an electronic pulse sillier machine.

The recipient entrepreneurs are: Zulekha Begum of Silinda village under Paba upazila, Nilufa Begum from Shekhalipara village in Godagari upazila and Jannatul Ferdous Mita from Mominpur village under Bagha upazila.

Expressing her gratitude to the government for the support, Zulekha Begum, a vegetable trader in profession, said she will benefit from the inputs.

She also hoped that the assistance will contribute a lot towards elevating her business coupled with boosting her level of confidence through increasing earnings.

She earns around Taka 2,500-3,000 with a profit of around Taka 400-500 after selling varieties of seasonal vegetables, including potato, tomato, brinjal, beans, cauliflower, green banana, pumpkins and green chili, everyday from the morning to evening.

Speaking on the occasion, Shahana Akter Jahan said many of the helpless women are engaged in various income-generating activities, including vending vegetables beside streets, side by side with men uplifting their living and livelihood conditions.

“We are also happy after standing beside them with some support,” she added.

Shahana Akter also said they are working to promote women entrepreneurship. Many other marginalized women benefited on behalf of the SACP in the region.