In the gaps between classes, exams and assignments, some Rajshahi University students run bookshops, sell sarees and lungis, make flower bouquets, bring marine products from Cox’s Bazar or operate food shops.
Driven by personal interests and a desire for financial independence, these small ventures have become sources of income for the students while creating employment opportunities for others on campus.
Asaduzzaman Siam, a physically disabled student of the Department of Persian Language and Literature, runs a bookshop called Aharan. Mohammad Manjur Morshed of the Department of Islamic Studies and Tasnia Afroz Moumi of the Department of Crafts operate the flower business Phul Bechbo. Mahmud Hridoy of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism sells marine products, while Md Ismail Hossain of the Department of Islamic Studies runs a saree and lungi business.
Although their ventures differ, the students share a common ambition: to build their own livelihoods while pursuing their degrees.
Siam started Aharan about two years ago, drawing on his love of reading. With Tk5,000 borrowed from a friend, he began selling second-hand books, initially spreading a tarpaulin on the ground because he had no permanent shop. Rain, the difficulty of transporting books and the challenges posed by his physical disability did not deter him.
His venture has since expanded. Alongside Aharan, he now runs a food shop called Jonaki. Together, the two businesses provide monthly employment for three students.
“At first, I did not start thinking about my financial situation. It began out of a hobby. But now, with Aharan and Jonaki together, I have become financially self-reliant myself, and at the same time, I have been able to arrange income for three students,” Siam says.
He has also introduced a flexible payment arrangement for students who cannot afford to pay the full price of a book at once. They can pay part of the amount and settle the balance later. Siam hopes to expand his businesses and is seeking suitable commercial space on campus, along with administrative support.
Mohammad Manjur Morshed, a student of the 2022–23 academic session, first launched Phul Bechbo in 2024 with a few buckets of flowers beside the university’s Iblis Chattar. The business closed after six or seven months as he struggled to balance it with his studies.
He reconsidered the venture after noticing the demand for flowers at university events, departmental programmes and club activities, despite their limited availability on campus. In 2026, he revived the business with four friends.
Initially, they sourced flowers from local markets. As demand grew, they began bringing supplies from Jashore. They now sell flowers on campus and take online orders for bouquets for weddings, corporate events and other programmes in Rajshahi.
Balancing the business with academic responsibilities remains difficult.
“In business, the biggest obstacle is studies, and in studies, the biggest obstacle is business. A businessman has to think about business from morning to night. Managing everything alongside studies creates pressure,” Morshed says.
The team has already rented a permanent shop on campus, which they plan to open soon. Morshed hopes to build a business that can eventually be run by successive batches of students. If it expands, he wants to create employment for five to ten students.
Mahmud Hridoy’s business grew out of an interest in the marine products and ornaments he came across during visits to Cox’s Bazar. Realising that students in Rajshahi could not easily travel there to buy such items, he decided to bring them to campus.
His collection includes necklaces made from shells and oysters, rings, bracelets, earrings, anklets, as well as nuts and pickles sourced from different parts of Cox’s Bazar.
“While visiting Cox’s Bazar, I liked many things. I thought Rajshahi is far from Cox’s Bazar. Not everyone can go there, yet many people like things tied to memories of the sea. From that thought, I started bringing these products to Rajshahi,” Hridoy says.
After running seasonal businesses for about three years, he wanted an initiative that could generate income throughout the year. He used his savings and borrowed money from friends to raise capital. His family initially disapproved, preferring that he concentrate on his studies.
Managing the shop around his class schedule is another challenge. Since student footfall is highest during the morning and midday, he sometimes has to set up the shop, leave for classes and return afterwards. On days with several classes, he may have to pack up and reopen more than once.
“I enjoy it. Because I am earning my own money. I can meet my own needs with my own income and don’t have to hold out my hand at home for extra expenses,” he says.
Buying a mobile phone with his earnings was a particularly satisfying achievement. Hridoy believes university students do not necessarily have to depend on conventional jobs to build their futures.
For Md Ismail Hossain, the decision to start a business came after he struggled to find private tutoring following his admission to Rajshahi University in September 2024. He found that many guardians preferred tutors from English, law or science departments, making it difficult for him to secure students from his own department.
Rather than continue relying on tutoring, he looked for another source of income. Coming from Sirajganj, a district known for its sarees, lungis and gamchhas, he recognised a potential market for these products among university students. Sarees, in particular, are popular among female students attending viva examinations and presentations.
He began with Tk 8,000: Tk 1,000 of his own, Tk 2,000 from his elder sister and Tk 5,000 borrowed from his mother. He later acquired sarees worth around Tk 30,000 on credit through traders known to his uncle. Within a month, he repaid the amount and reinvested his earnings to expand the business.
Ismail now sources sarees from Shahjadpur, Enayetpur and Ullapara in Sirajganj and sells them in front of Siraji Bhaban on campus. What began as an evening business from 4pm to 8pm has expanded, with him now spending time at the shop after classes until around 8pm or 9pm.
His family initially wanted him to focus solely on his studies. He also faced criticism from people in his home area, particularly because his father is a madrasa superintendent.
“My goal is to create my own employment after finishing my studies. I have no desire to take a job. In the future, I want to work on a large scale in the garment sector,” he says.
The experiences of Siam, Manjur, Hridoy and Ismail reflect a growing culture of student entrepreneurship at Rajshahi University. Rather than waiting until graduation to enter the workforce, they are building businesses alongside their studies.
Their ventures remain modest, but they are meeting demand on campus, creating jobs for fellow students and giving their owners practical experience in running businesses. They also challenge the conventional expectation that a university degree must lead to a government or corporate job.
Balancing academic responsibilities with business is rarely easy. Financial constraints, family expectations and the demands of university life can all become obstacles. Yet these students see entrepreneurship as a route to independence and an opportunity to create something of their own.
Their stories show that a university education and business ambitions need not be mutually exclusive. For these young entrepreneurs, the work of building a career has already begun: between classes, after exams and in the hours left between assignments.
