Bou Bazar, a market run by women in Gopalganj

The three-decade-old bustling village market, Gopalganj district’s Bou Bazar set up and run by women, has become an example of empowerment and promoting women entrepreneurship.

Established in 1990 and locally known as Bou Bazar located in Muksudpur upazila’s Baniyarchar area, it has become a longstanding, bustling success, continuing its operation over the decades.

The market--which encompasses four acres of land-- currently, hosts 50 permanent shops, run by women, with around 100 more women arriving daily to sell milk, vegetables, and grocery items from temporary stalls. All manner of daily supplies can be purchased there.

According to the locals, in the 1990s, local women used to gather along the Gopalganj-Tekerhat highway in Baniyarchar, Muksudpur upazila of Gopalganj to sell cow’s milk. As the number of customers increased, more women started to gather in the area with their household offerings and established the market.

The traders in this market mainly sell kitchen items like vegetables and groceries. The market has continued to thrive with day-to-day business activities by small women traders. Its clientele once comprised mostly women. However, lately, male customers have started visiting the market. A handful of shops run by male traders have also sprouted. Several males are found these days giving a hand to their exhausted wives after finishing their work.

Rita Rani Biswas, a trader in the market, said: “I am running my shop in this market for the last decade. I have never faced any problem here.”

Lakkhirani Sarker, another trader in the market, said: “I have been selling my vegetables in this market for a long time. Mostly women shops here, but now the number of male shoppers is increasing as well.”

“We face no problem here. But if the government could develop the infrastructure of the market, it would have greatly benefitted us,” she added.

Another such seller, Dipali Biswas said she is running her business and her family consecutively.

“I have a four-membered family. I cook, take care of my children, and cattle and also run my business here. I earn a good amount of profit from my business and can provide for my family; We are happy.”

“The prices of groceries in this market are reasonable, and the sellers maintain the quality of their products. I come to this market twice a week to buy my groceries, and I have never faced any problems shopping here,” said a buyer, Paritash Bala.

Khalid Hossain, a pedestrian, who stopped for a cup of tea at a tea stall in the market, on his way from Narail to Madaripur, shared his astonishment to the Business Post and said: “I have been to many districts in Bangladesh but never seen any market that women solely run. The endeavour is praiseworthy and should be followed as an example in the rest of the districts.”

“The endeavour is an emblem of women empowerment,” he added.

The president of the market committee, Diponkar Mohanto, acknowledges that women traders and shoppers, in general, find the atmosphere of the market peaceful.

The lack of facilities like drinking water and washrooms is ongoing trouble, he said.

Along with the sellers of the market, he requested the concerned authority to help them solve these problems.

The chairman of the Jalilpar union council, Biva Rani Mandal said: “The contribution of the women in the market is praiseworthy. They contribute to household income along with their husbands.”

She assured she would take steps to resolve the lack of facilities and any other problems at the market.