It is a classic rags to riches story-only that Rafiq Sheikh owes his millions to garment factory leftovers and not rags.The entrepreneur, who hails from Munshiganj, now based in Tongi’s Gedu Molla road first tried the route that many in Bangladesh do-by seeking work abroad.But after seven years in Libya and Malaysia, the father of a boy and a girl had hardly made enough money to pay for his travel abroad.That is when a close relative in business gave him the idea that changed his life and fortune-making caps from garment factory leftovers, ‘Jhutkapar’ in local parlance.In the last seventeen years, Rafiq has indeed hit it big with his caps.But it was never easy because no bank financed his business or when he was seeking to expand it. He had to sell off his ancestral house to finance the factory, which now employs 40 workers on 14-15 machines.He had to sell his wife’s jewellery to raise TK 16,000 to purchase his first machine employing two workers when he started “Shaon-Ripa Cap House” on advice from his nephew Abdur Rahman Pintu.Rafiq and his wife Shahnaz Begum would procure garment leftovers from factories in Savar and Tongi and turn them into attractive caps.”When I started getting good returns in the first six months, I decided to expand but no bank would finance me. So I had to sell a part of my ancestral house for Tk 120,000 to buy a piece of land to start my present factory at Gedu Road (Tongi),” Rafiq told bdnews24.com.Rafiq said he now employs 40 workers and has 15 machines to stitch caps.”We make 500 to 600 caps everyday during the peak season and half that number during off season,” Rafiq said.His son Shaon, who studies physics in a local college, also lends a hand to his parents.Rafiq procures two tonnes of garment factory leftovers and 2,000 yards of fresh yarn to produce the caps. Earlier, he would take them to retailers in Dhaka’s Bangabazar or in other cities like Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Bogra.”But now the retailers come to me to buy in bulk after we have made a name. Even Indian importers turn up to take my caps,” says Rafiq.But opening Letters of Credit (LOC) is a bit of problem-so Rafiq uses other businessmen to do that for him and for which he needs to pay them Tk 5 to 6 per cap.”Indian importers insist on credit. Recovering that is a problem, so I use LOCs raised by other businessmen to sell my caps.”The caps are sold under different brand names-ranging from Johnson to Parachute to Net to Ayub-Baccchu and Axsar.”If the government helped, this business could be expanded and more jobs could be created for youngsters. They would not turn to crime if they had work,” says Rafiq.With rising income, Rafiq has bought four kathas of land around his factory and has a two storey house, where he lives with his family.’Fatima’ works in Rafiq’s factory for Tk 9,000 a month after she failed to get a job in a garment factory. ‘Mamun’ works for Tk 6,000 a month.”My family survives on my income,” said Fatima.Extortion is a huge problem for Rafiq.”Often local extortionists Suman and Kamu send their goons with weapons asking for money. That scares retailers and buyers. Complaints to police had not helped,” says Rafiq.Gedu Molla Road Police Station OC Mohammed Ali denies knowledge of extortion in the area.Rafiq is not alone with his caps. Nearly 100 units making caps have come up on the Gedu Molla road.”If the government helped, this is a line of business which has potential to grow,” says Shaon Sheikh, Rafiq’s son.Bangladesh’s economic success owes much to the indomitable spirit and hard work of men like Rafiq ,as he now sits back with a reassuring smile.”I am now a millionaire!”
