Tamanna Ahmed: An All-rounder

When it comes to managing extra-curricular activities and jobs while keeping up with academics, Tamanna Ahmed is exemplary. A final year student of the Pharmacy Department at North South University, Tamanna is an entrepreneur, a chess player, a debater and a tree-hugger. SHOUT caught up with her recently to find out how she manages all these. 

Tamanna is the founder of an online boutique called “Unique Collection”. When her family shifted to Dhaka from their hometown Chittagong in 2012 for Tamanna's higher education, she found that she had a lot of free time. Right around then, online start-ups were booming. So with the help of her mother, Tamanna set up her own business online. “I had to take a leap of faith and invest a lot of money, so I was scared initially,” she said. Her business grew when she started selling good quality replica watches, one of the first online shops to do that. Unique Collection got a dedicated clientele, and Tamanna's initial risks finally paid off. 

She started participating in exhibitions, where she gathered more new customers. This year, Tamanna thought about launching her own exhibition. Her idea and promotions got a lot of other online shops interested about participating. When asked what's different about her exhibition, Tamanna said, “You'll see a lot of new talents exhibiting new collections. This is a platform that many of the young online shops need, like mine initially did.”

But entrepreneurship isn't her only strong side. Tamanna is a debater as well. She represented NSU Debate Club at international debate competitions. “I want to go to more such competitions and hone my debating skills,” she said. 

Moreover, she is a chess player. She was runner-up at a national chess championship in 2009. Since, there aren't many female chess players in Bangladesh, Tamanna had to compete with men. Tamanna even tutored girls to play chess at one point. Although she isn't much active in the chess scene these days, she is the only girl playing for NSU Chess Team. 

Besides all these, Tamanna is an avid lover of the Mother Earth. It all started when she participated in the Duke of Edinburgh programme back in school and became a bronze medallist. “We all care about the environment at some level, so why not do something meaningful about it?” With that in mind, she decided to continue her environmental endeavours in university. And due to her passion and dedication for the cause, she was made the Secretary of Publicity of Earth Club, NSU. 

How does she manage time for all the ECA, studies, and still have a social life? “Well, once I set my mind to doing something, I make and maintain a timeline,” she replied. “I meet my friends after classes, and work when I need to. I shut out everything else during my exams and study. It's all about getting your priorities right.” But she admitted that all her work and studies leave her with limited time for her family. 

When asked why she is involved in all the ECAs and her business, though she is a student of pharmacy, Tamanna informed that she ultimately wants to build the first regulated pharmaceutical store in Bangladesh. She believes that her entrepreneurial and extra-curricular experiences will help her in that regard. 

Being a student with lots of ECA and a business to run is definitely not easy. Yet, Tamanna Ahmed gracefully does it all, one day at a time. Surely, with a bit of dedication and proper planning, anyone can have a future as bright as hers. 

“The Fashion Showcase” by Unique Collection is to be 
held on May 1-2, 2015 in EFES, Gulshan 1, Dhaka. Visit 
the event page (https://www.facebook.com/events/836292719784136/) or Unique Collection's page (https://www.facebook.com/unique.collection.bd) 
for details.