There is a saying fortune favours the brave and the case of Silvia Aktar suits it. Success followed her for her courage, willpower and steadfastness. She never thought of running a business and after completing her studies she joined a service. But later she left the job finding it uncomfortable and monotonous.
Sylvia then took the helm of her elderly father’s clothing business. Now the business spread and the brand Ornate Bangladesh has four outlets in Dhaka’s major shopping hubs. To catch the upmarket shoppers, she is also planning to open outlets at Jamuna Future Park, Gulshan and another one in Chattogram. Those would be launched when the Covid-19 situation improves.
Silvia is dreaming of making Ornate the largest clothing brand in the country.
Born in Munshiganj, Silvia grew up at Elephant Road in Dhaka. She went to Willes Little Flower School, Shaheed Anwar Girls College and American International University.
Silvia faced various obstacles in running the business for just being a woman and overcame all those. It might help her to empower women and half of the staff members on her firm are now women.
The trail of her success was not smooth. She widened her business with her own ideas creating a pool of customers and gaining their trust.
An appalled Silvia says an entrepreneur should be considered as an entrepreneur only, not as a male entrepreneur or female entrepreneur. Women entrepreneurs or professionals in Bangladesh cannot work smoothly in Bangladesh what their male counterparts can do. It’s a problem and it has to be addressed.
Silvia suggested the fresh women entrepreneurs remain steadfast with a positive mindset. There will be a barrage of obstacles and those have to be overcome and it is possible if there is willpower.
