Pandemic turned Salma a pitha maker, now she delivers abroad

Though economic activities across Bangladesh stumbled for Covid-19 pandemic, somehow it also created opportunities for some who had to choose something odd to run their families.

Salma Islam from Narsingdi is one of them. Completing her master's in 2005, she worked for many NGOs and private organisations and was able to support her family.

After getting married, she left her job to avoid any complications during the maternity period and family pressure did not allow her to join any other jobs.  

With the Covid pandemic setting in, Salma’s husband – the lone bread-earner for the family at that time – became jobless. It made her desperate to do something to support her family
financially. 

On advice from the local lawmaker for reserved seats, Salma started a small online venture opening a page on Facebook in December 2020. 

Then came the issue of capital and it stood as a hurdle in her way. 

Starting of the business

Borrowing Tk 9,000 from one of her friends, Salma began making artificial flower ornaments used in pre-wedding festivities such as Gaye Halud and selling those through her Facebook page. But there were hardly any orders and it made her depressed. 

She thought of doing something more along with ornament making and inquired about the demand for pithas, traditional cakes, on her Facebook page ‘Soptarong Shaz’. 

To her surprise, she got an order for around 2,600 Nakshi Pitha from Canada. The buyer’s representative collected the pithas from her home Narsingdi and sent those to Canada.

After that, Salma did not have to look back.

The present condition of the business

At the beginning of the business, many ridiculed her calling with weird nicks such as ‘Pitha Ali’.

“I had no time to pay attention to such tone and gesture. I am proceeding on my way. Now people respect me. Even those who treated me badly in the past, try to inspire me now,” she said.

“On average, I am selling pithas worth nearly Tk 20,000- 30,000 per month,” she said. Now she makes nearly 10 types of pithas including Nakshi Pitha, Dudh Puli, Beni Piṭha, Bhapa Pitha, and Patishapta. She supplies pithas across the country through home delivery.

Delivering pithas abroad 

Salma said she delivered pithas to buyers in China and Singapore through DHL courier service which is quite
expensive.

She also delivered pithas to London, to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, India, and the United Arab Emirates.

On average, Salma gets nearly 50-60 orders for pithas every day. She is also expanding the artificial flower and wedding ornament business in volume and investment. Her artificial flowers have high demand in marriage ceremonies and various cultural programmes in Narsingdi.

Now nearly 15 people work for Salma, six of them are permanent and eight others serve her when she needs them. 

Starting another new business 

Salma is now starting a catering business and is getting a better response. “Now I have the capacity to deliver food for 20 people to 2,000 people per day. I also hired a cook for my catering business,” she said.

Salma said she spends half of her time on her business and the remaining half goes to her family.

A hilarious Salma told The Business Post that her husband did not help her at the beginning of her business but now he takes care of everything in the business. 

Future plan

Slama wants to reach the highest level of all three businesses by creating a unique brand so that people can know the name of her products.

“I want to start a selling point for the whole country in future and open a restaurant,” she said.