Story of Success

My name is Monirul Islam. My father’s name is Md. Abdul Sarder, and my mother’s name is Jahanara Begum. I come from a large family of nine siblings — seven brothers and two sisters. From a very young age, my life was filled with hardship and struggle. When I was only seven or eight years old, I began working as a cowboy in other people’s homes. Sometimes, I had to cross rivers by holding onto the tails of cows. Because of extreme poverty, I never had the opportunity to attend school.

My first introduction to reading and writing came through sharing the books of my younger uncle. Until I was about sixteen or seventeen, I worked as a day laborer in various households. Later, I started a small fish business, which helped me support my family and pay for my siblings’ education for several years.

In 1994, I married Hafiza Begum and continued to sustain my family through my fish business. However, in 2000, a devastating flood caused a major loss, leaving me with debts of around 8–10 lakh taka. I was so ashamed of my situation that I could hardly face people, and at one point, I even thought of fleeing to India.

During this dark time, my mother-in-law introduced me to a mason who encouraged me to learn masonry work. I began as his assistant and, after a year of training, started working independently. I continued working as a mason until 2011.

In June 2011, a new opportunity changed the course of my life. Through Diganta, a partner organization of Bondhu Chula, I received training from Rokon Bhai, a staff member of Bondhu Chula, and began working as a stove maker. After a short time, I became a partner in the initiative. With further guidance from Mahbub Bhai, I started to handle my Bondhu Chula activities more professionally.

At first, I could sell only 10 to 20 Bondhu Chula stoves. Gradually, as I gained experience and trust, my sales grew significantly. By 2019, I was supplying 600 to 700 stoves per month. Toward the end of that year, the Zonal Manager of Bondhu Chula encouraged me to set a new goal: if I could sell 4,000 stoves within eight months, I would earn enough to build my own house. That challenge sparked a dream — to have a home of my own.

To make that dream come true, I developed a master plan. I rented a large space beside the main road where 40–50 people could work together. I recruited around 50 workers to handle stove and chimney production, publicity, order collection, installation, and monitoring. My hard work paid off — I even set a record by supplying up to 1,000 Bondhu Chula stoves in a single month.

Today, I earn between 1.5 to 2 lakh taka every month and have built my dream house with that income. I reached this position through hard work, patience, and unwavering confidence. The Bangladesh Bondhu Foundation (BONDHU) has taught me that if we dream big and work hard, success will surely follow.

Bondhu Chula has truly transformed my life.

Like me, thousands of others have also changed their lives and shaped their futures through Bondhu Chula.