Reshmi's sea fish chips venture earns lakhs monthly

In Cox's Bazar, conservative family norms often discouraged women from working, and even stepping outside alone could be challenging. For Nazma Akter Reshmi, continuing her studies amid her father's illness and growing financial hardship was an uphill battle. Yet this 25-year-old has shown how determination, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a drive to create something new can help a woman rise above every obstacle.

Inspiring young entrepreneur Nazma Akter Reshmi stands confidently in front of her fish chips products in her office at Adarshagram, Kolatali in Cox's Bazar.

There was a time when Reshmi could barely afford her education. Today, after years of dedication and hard work, she earns over Tk 1 lakh a month by producing sea-fish chips under her brand, 'Fisho Fish Chips.' She sells her products through her Facebook page, 'Palanki Kanya.' Reshmi is also recognized as the first entrepreneur in Bangladesh to successfully produce and market this unique type of chip.

Not only has Reshmi ensured her own income, but she has also generated employment for seven families. Furthermore, she has trained 30 women in fish chips production. Reshmi, who was once at risk of early marriage, has now become the sole provider for her entire family. Today, she is a role model among the women entrepreneurs in Cox's Bazar.

Journey Began with Beauty Product Sales

Reshmi lives with her elderly parents in a rented three-bedroom house in Adarshagram, Cox's Bazar. Running the household was a challenge, as their sole income source was the small government pension received by her retired father.

During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, while people were confined to their homes, Reshmi noticed that many entrepreneurs were successfully earning money through online businesses. Inspired by this concept, she started selling beauty products on social media and earned a profit of nearly Tk 50,000 within just two months. This initial success further fueled her motivation to pursue online entrepreneurship.

Motivated by her urge to create something new, Reshmi closed her beauty products business and shifted to selling fig pickles.

Reshmi said, "There was a fig tree in front of our gate. However, since the fruit isn't commonly eaten in the area, ripe figs would fall onto the street disregarded. I decided to make fig pickles considering the fruit's nutritional value. Even many doctors bought pickles from me. Later, I had to halt the business due to the lack of raw materials after the fig tree was cut down."

Even after two early ventures failed to take off, she remained determined. She continued searching for fresh ideas on the Internet and YouTube. One day, after watching a video about making dried firefly powder, she was inspired to try producing sea-fish powder. After several attempts, Reshmi finally succeeded in creating a high-quality product. However, because of storage difficulties and the need to keep the powder free from preservatives, she now produces it only during the fishing season.

From Potato to Fish Chip

Reshmi came up with the idea of making fish chips in early 2024. She said, "I have come to know from research that many countries now make fish chips and sell them at a premium price. Since many materials other than potato are now being used for chips, I was confident that making chips from sea fish would also be possible in our country. This product can both satisfy children's craving for chips and serve their nutritional requirements."

Inspired by this idea, Reshmi began experimenting with various types of sea and freshwater fish to create chips in her home kitchen. In July 2024, she successfully developed chips using Tuna and Poa fish. From that moment on, the inborn entrepreneur never had to look back.

Reshmi has now turned her rented three-room house into a combined production facility and office, where she manufactures the chips and manages day-to-day operations. She reports that she currently sells around 700 kilograms of chips each month, earning a profit of more than one lakh taka after all costs are deducted.

According to Reshmi, many people have approached her about exporting the product abroad. 'My first priority is to meet local demand,' she said. 'I want my products to contribute to the nutritional needs of people in our own country before considering exports. In the coming years, I hope to scale up and expand into larger-volume production.

Marketing and management, she admitted, remain a challenge when scaling up commercial production. She further mentioned that the 'Amrai TARA' training, which she received from BRAC Bank in October of this year, helped improve the management of her fish chips business and boost product sales.

She stated, "To run a business, just producing a product is not enough. You need to maintain proper marketing and management to reach the customers effectively. I learned many things from this training organized by BRAC Bank for women - including how to take the product to the target audience and how to implement business decision more professionally and effectively. This three-day training has significantly boosted my self-confidence."

'Amrai TARA' training equips women entrepreneurs with practical skills in business management, digital literacy, financial planning, and market access - support that helps them launch, grow, and scale their ventures. To date, more than 3,000 women entrepreneurs like Reshmi have received training through the 'Amrai TARA' programme across 20 districts. The bank aims to expand the initiative to every district in the country in the coming years.

Reshmi is also receiving advisory support from a Netherlands-based NGO, which is helping her further enhance the quality of her chips.

Looking back on her early days, she recalled, "When I used to visit the local fishing villages to buy fresh fish, people would ask, "How can you manage all this at such a young age?" Today, I have proved that neither age nor gender can hold someone back. I dream that many more women, just like me, will step into entrepreneurship in the days ahead."