Two failed businesses could not break Dilruba Khatun’s determination. Today, the entrepreneur from Meherpur earns around Tk4 lakh a month from duck farming, having started with just Tk30,000 three years ago.
Her journey is a story of resilience, hard work and an unwillingness to surrender to setbacks.
Dilruba first tried raising budgerigars (commonly known as a budgie or common parakeet) but suffered losses during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020-21. She then ventured into broiler chicken farming, only to face another setback when bird flu struck.
Many thought she would abandon her entrepreneurial ambitions. Instead, she became even more determined to succeed.
In 2023, Dilruba, a resident of Radhakantapur village in Meherpur Sadar upazila, bought 100 Peking Star-13 ducklings. With patience, regular care and relentless effort, she gradually expanded her farm to 1,000 ducks.
Her breakthrough came when she moved beyond selling eggs and began producing ducklings using an incubator installed beside her farm.
The venture now produces around 2,000 ducklings a week, each selling for Tk120 to Tk150. Weekly sales generate approximately Tk2.5 lakh, while expenses for feed, medicines, labour and other costs amount to around Tk1.5 lakh.
The incubator can accommodate 36,000 eggs a month, but Dilruba has yet to utilise even half its capacity, leaving considerable room for expansion.
“Defeat does not mean stopping. Rather, success means learning from failure and making a fresh start,” Dilruba told TIMES.
The business has already transformed her family’s circumstances. She has built a house with her earnings and is now developing a larger commercial farm.
Construction is under way on a four-and-a-half-bigha site designed to accommodate 6,000 ducks.
Dilruba’s husband, Selim Hossain, and their son, Badhon, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree, help manage the growing enterprise. They assist with duck care, production management and the supply of ducklings.
For Badhon, his mother’s success represents years of sacrifice and perseverance.
“Behind my mother’s success lies a story of immense hard work, sacrifice and patience. She faced many challenges after suffering losses in several ventures at the beginning. But she never gave up. We want our mother’s venture to grow even bigger and for others to find employment opportunities through her farm,” he said.
Her husband, Selim, expressed similar pride. “I am proud of her success,” he said.
Dilruba’s achievements are also inspiring young people in the area to establish small duck farms using ducklings purchased from her business.
Among them is Sajbul Islam Rony, who hopes to follow her example. “I want to learn from her experience and take my own venture forward,” he said.
Another entrepreneur, Hayat Ali, sees wider potential in duck farming. “I believe duck farming is a promising way for rural people to become self-reliant,” he said.
Mawla Box, the technician responsible for operating Dilruba’s incubator, said around 2,000 ducklings were currently being produced each week and supplied to farmers in Meherpur and elsewhere in the country.
He stressed that maintaining the correct temperature and humidity and ensuring proper care of the eggs were essential for successful hatching.
Even minor mistakes could reduce the hatching rate, he said.
District Livestock Officer Md Tofazzal Hossain said duck farming could become profitable if farmers followed proper rearing practices and remained vigilant against disease.
He added that new entrepreneurs were receiving training and technical guidance on farm management and related activities.
For Dilruba, the transformation from repeated losses to a thriving business reflects the belief that kept her going through every setback: failure is not the end, but an opportunity to begin again.
