Bangladeshi handicrafts reach Europe and America

Satkhira Bazaar - an extension of the parent company Emerson Manufacturing Company Inc. - was established in December 2014 for the purpose of selling exclusive Bangladeshi-made products in the United States, Australia and Europe. The endeavour is an extension of the philanthropic work of Emerson that started in May of 2014. With the help and expertise of QAF's founder Zakir Hossain, Satkhira Bazaar has been able to source products throughout Bangladesh. Working together, QAF and Satkhira Bazaar has focused on empowering the women in rural area around the country.

Satkhira Bazaar's primary focus is procuring household items and handicrafts directly from Bangladeshi villages through cooperatives and in some cases from specific individuals. This method of procurement ensures that the money for the items does not pass through a series of middlemen and that the payments go directly to the artisans that produce the items.

Satkhira Bazaar selected suppliers from Rangpur, Jamalpur, Satkhira, Jessore, Khulna, Sylhet and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. These are areas where small entrepreneurs produce a variety of products, including rugs, embroidery, wood products, jute products and terracotta pottery. The total handicraft items available easily exceed one hundred. Through this process, Satkhira Bazaar provides jobs to over 5000 people out of which, approximately 80 percent of who are underprivileged rural women. Satkhira Bazaar then exports these products to global markets.