Bornali’s Breakthrough: A New Dawn in Mymensingh’s Agricultural Market
Bornali Chakraborty
At the heart of Mymensingh city, about 120 km north of the capital Dhaka, lies the bustling town of Charpara, home to Bornali Chakraborty. The third of three siblings in a middle-class family, Bornali, 42, has nurtured an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, seizing any opportunity that brings her closer to realizing her aspirations. With her family’s support, Bornali has managed a successful online homemade food delivery business for more than seven years. The business, which she started with an investment of BDT 2,000, currently rakes in monthly profits of around BDT 20,000. Despite her success, Bornali—and other entrepreneurs like her—faces challenges sourcing high-quality produce from local markets, which are prone to price fluctuations and suffer from inadequate government support.
A breakthrough moment for Bornali and other entrepreneurs took place on February 17, 2024, while attending a sensitization workshop on agricultural marketing policy organized by the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) with support from the USAID Feed the Future Bangladesh Policy LINK Agricultural Policy Activity (Policy Activity).
The workshop aimed to raise awareness of the acts, laws, and policy guidelines supporting agricultural market systems among government and non-government stakeholders. This sensitization initiative was a critical part of DAM’s plans to enhance access to information for market actors like Bornali and bridge the gaps preventing people from seeking their support services.
In the past, the public has overlooked DAM, which oversees Bangladesh’s agricultural market system. This is changing now that agricultural marketing is a priority for the Government of Bangladesh. As a result, DAM has gained prominence within the Ministry of Agriculture and received additional resources, enabling it to put in place new leadership structures. DAM is now also equipped with essential tools like the Agricultural Marketing Policy, 2023, which was approved last year.
Together, Bornali and other market actors can drive inclusive, sustainable development in the region.
To implement these policy directives effectively, DAM sought the Policy Activity’s support to hold a series of sensitization workshops. To date, DAM has held sensitization workshops in Chattogram, Mymensingh, and Rajshahi divisions, bringing together 199 government and non-government stakeholders. It plans to replicate the workshops across Bangladesh’s seven divisions.
For Bornali and her peers, the workshop was a platform for networking and crucial conversations about the challenges and aspirations of market actors in Mymensingh's agricultural sector. It also shed light on the department’s services and benefits. Led by DAM's Director General, Md. Masud Karim, the workshop highlighted matching fund grants through the Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Entrepreneurship, and Resilience (PARTNER) to promote diversification, food safety, entrepreneurship, and resilience in the agri-food value chains.
Through these informative sessions, Bornali gained insights into her rights and responsibilities as a market actor, along with the advantages of registering with DAM. One significant benefit is the ability to operate in “notified markets,” which are directly regulated by the government to improve transparency, guard against market manipulation, and enable access to business development opportunities.
Mr. Karim emphasized the importance of collective action, urging attendees to mobilize and proactively seek DAM's support available through the Mymensingh divisional office. His words resonated with Bornali, who left the workshop with newfound motivation and a desire to collaborate with fellow entrepreneurs and stakeholders.
Reflecting on her experience, Bornali said, “Attending the workshop was an eye-opener for all of us. Learning about DAM's functions and the registration process was empowering. It is clear now that formalizing our relationship with DAM opens doors to crucial support services and state funding programs.”
Bornali's enthusiasm was shared by the other participants, signifying greater empowerment and resilience in Mymensingh's agricultural marketing system. Together, Bornali and other market actors can drive inclusive, sustainable development in the region.