Case-Study # 02: Taslima of Ranglamati Town

Taslima Begum (35) has been an aactive member of IDF’s urban micro-credit group in Sadr
(district town) of the hilly district of Rangamati. She lives with her husband Monir Hossain (40)
and three children Tamim (20). Shamim (14) and Rakib (12). Taslima and her husband are
migrants from Haimchar of Chandpur district. Haimchar, mainly a sandy area formed by the
alluvial deposits of the river Meghna. Every year due to river-related soil erosion, a good number
of families lose their hearths and homes. The parents of Taslima and Monir belonged to that
category. As landless and rootless, their families migrated to Chittagong Hill District in search of
new horizon and ways of life. Taslima’s family owns 1/100 of an acre (=0.01 acre) of homestead
land in the heart of Ranglmati town. It is on a terrace and by the lake-side. The current value
(January, 2014) of her homestead (land + house) should be around Tk. 1,00,000/=. She has other
some other productive assets e.g. rickshaw-van (amounting to Tk. 20,000/= in value) and tools.
Her family enjoys consumer durable e.g. decorated cot, dressing table, almirah, reading desk,
chair, electric fan, colored TV set etc. It seems she is happy in her cozy and compact home.

The family’s main income-source is self-employment; Monir works as a packer of furniture from
Rangamati to other parts of the country. Her family earns around Tk. 150,000/= yearly (in 2013-
14). Since, Taslima lives in an urban area, she has to depend exclusively on market-based
supplies of food-items e.g. cereals, vegetables, eggs, meat, fruit etc. Each year she spends a
significant amount of money on education and healthcare. Her three sons are progressing well
and going up the education ladder (the eldest at the higher secondary level and the following two
are eighth and fourth grader respectively. She seems to be contented with the pace and conditions
of her life. Her house is clean and well-constructed with C.I. (corrugated iron) sheet.

The family’s enterprise along with IDF’s interventions (e.g. group-activities, micro-finance and
related socio-economic programs) have made a big difference in Taslima- Monir family. She has
been the Center-chief of IDF-groups in her locality. Last year, she took a ME (micro-enterprise)
loan of Tk. 100,000/=. Out of this loan, she has mainly invested in her husband’s packing
enterprise; a significant amount has been invested in building shops in her father’s plot nearby.
The built-shops generate Tk. 3000/= as monthly rental income for her. She has been paying Tk.
2,600/= as weekly installment to IDF for the ME-loan. She is confident that the remaining loan-
amount will be paid off within the stipulated time. She will then go for another dose of new ME
loan. She has benefitted from IDF’s healthcare program also. Her family has received
consultation from IDF’s medical doctor, diagnostic services. She is grateful to IDF for all the
services she has received.