She had started dressmaking at home. Now she employs about 30 women and owns a well decorated big garments shop at Cantonment Road. She earns around Tk 30,000 a month.

Afroza also supplies readymade garments to Dhaka and other districts. This has been done only in five years.

Afroza Rahman of Gupta Para in Rangpur town is a widow. She was helpless after death of her husband Doula Rahman in 1997.

"I began thinking what to do for survival. I started tailoring at home.

"Gradually I learnt dress making, block, batik and printing and set up a cottage garmetnts factory at my house."

Her relatives and well-wishers were the customers in the initial days. She collected orders moving from door to door.

Day by day, she earned reputation as a good dressmaker in the town. Her devotion and skill helped her.

People, especially women, began to come to her with orders from different areas of the town.

Within five years, Afroza reached a position that that encouraged others.

"I is a great satisfaction that 30 women are learning and earning from my factory", she told this correspondent during a recent visit to her small garments factory at her Gupta Para's house.

She plans to expand the factory to provide jobs for about 200 unemployed women.

When asked if she got any loan from any government agency or NGO, she said she did not try for that.

" I will need financial support from banks or NGOs when I will expand my factory," She added.