Cox’s Bazar is a coastal city where marine fish sustain much of the local economy. Young entrepreneur Nazma Akter Reshmi is exploring new opportunities by turning fish into innovative products. Starting with dried fish powder and later moving into fish chips, she has built a business around two distinct products. Her fish chips, branded as ‘Fisho Chips’, are now reaching customers across Bangladesh. What began on a small scale has become not only a source of income for her but also a means of creating employment.
Nazma lives in Kolatoli Adarsha Gram, near Cox’s Bazar beach. She started selling dried fish powder online on January 5, 2021. However, her entrepreneurial journey began earlier, shaped by her family’s financial constraints, repeated business setbacks, and her determination to build something of her own.
Nazma’s father is retired, and the family relied on his pension to meet household expenses. At the time, she was involved in social activities with various voluntary organisations and needed money to cover her travel expenses. She initially considered taking a job, but her family did not agree. She then decided to pursue business to become financially independent.
In 2020, she started selling women’s beauty and skincare products online through a Facebook page called ‘Palongki Konna’. The business generated Tk 50,000 in profit in its first two months, encouraging her to explore new opportunities.
She subsequently began experimenting with another product after noticing that figs from a tree near her home often ripened and fell onto the road. She decided to make fig pickle because the area did not commonly consume the fruit. However, the tree was later cut down, leaving her without raw materials and forcing her to abandon the venture.
Undeterred by the failure of two ventures, Nazma continued searching the internet and YouTube for new business ideas. With educational institutions closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, she had more time to research and experiment with potential products.
She wanted to develop a food product that retained the nutritional value of dried fish without its strong smell or the inconvenience of bones. She aimed to make fish easier to eat for people of all ages, from children to older adults. This led her to explore making dried fish powder.
After several experiments, she developed the product and began selling it online on January 5, 2021. She used her existing Facebook page, Palongki Konna, to promote the business. Palongki is an old name for Cox’s Bazar, meaning “yellow flower.”
Sales were initially modest, but demand grew within a few months, with orders arriving from different parts of the country. Her dried fish powder is now delivered to 54 districts, including Chattogram, Dhaka, Narayanganj, Sylhet, Cumilla, Bogura, Dinajpur, Mymensingh, Khagrachhari, Bandarban, Rangamati and Kishoreganj.
Drawing on her experience with dried fish powder, Nazma realised that expanding the business would require new products. In 2024, she began experimenting with fish chips, learning production techniques from YouTube videos and testing different marine and freshwater fish varieties at home.
She initially tried making chips from tuna and croaker but faced several failures before achieving the desired results. After improving the taste and quality, she developed a new brand, ‘Fisho Fish Chips’, now commonly known as Fisho Chips.
Her operation has since expanded. She has set up a small factory and office in a rented three-room house in Kolatoli Adarsha Gram, where the fish chips are produced.
According to Nazma, she currently sells around 700 kilogrammes of fish chips a month, generating a monthly profit of more than Tk 100,000 after deducting all expenses.
The business has also created employment opportunities. Members of seven families work at her establishment, while she has trained 30 women in fish-chip production, potentially enabling them to pursue entrepreneurship themselves.
Nazma believes fish chips can do more than satisfy children’s snack cravings. They can also introduce children to the nutritional benefits of fish.
“These chips satisfy children’s desire to eat chips while also helping meet their nutritional needs. Many people have suggested exporting my products. However, I want to meet domestic demand first before considering exports. Over the next few years, I want to expand production on a much larger scale,” she said.
Despite her progress, Nazma faces several challenges. Seasonal fish availability and difficulties preserving raw materials affect production of dried fish powder. She cannot produce the powder outside the relevant fishing season, so reliable access to raw materials and better storage facilities are essential to maintain production and supply.
Nevertheless, she continues to explore new opportunities. The woman who began selling skincare products online to ease her family’s financial difficulties now transforms marine fish into new products and expands her business by learning from earlier setbacks.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Courtesy
