The inception of Albaly Furniture was very simple. I had just finished my Bachelor of Social Science and dove right into this business. I knew I had to do something that was entirely my own. My father had an existing business, an engineering workshop. But from there, I took inspiration and started Albaly. And it has been 16 years since. 

My father’s engineering workshop had some spare space and it was there where we first started manufacturing products for Albaly. From plastic furniture to steel, now we manufacture wooden furniture. The only reason why I chose this furniture business was because there was an existing market for it and I knew it would do good. Also, I noticed that the type of furniture that I wanted to produce was not available here, so I thought the uniqueness of my furniture designs would attract the target market. Although, there were many times when I struggled to make it all work, however, this is all part of conducting a business. To be more specific, the initial days of Albaly were the hardest, but I held on. When you are the owner, several obstacles will come your way, you just have to overcome it. And that’s what I did and still trying to do; overcoming it. But my biggest support system at the moment is my wife. 

After all these years, I came to know about LightCastle Partners when one of their team members came to Bogura to conduct their field visits. Among all the knowledge and insight that we received from LightCastle, one of the most important aspects was having a social media page. Albaly Furniture now has its own Facebook page and I am certain this will further enhance our reach and we will be able to acquire a bigger target market. As you know, during the peak covid-19 days when the country went into lockdown, the business suffered a lot. Production stopped completely, my business was at a standstill for over 6 months. Sales decreased substantially, however; business is just starting to get better. 

My only wish for the future is to ensure my business progresses further. I would like to target the Northern region, as well as Dhaka. And if there ever comes an opportunity, I would like to delve into exporting as well. My ultimate dream is to produce furniture that is worthy of being exported. Furniture that gets recognized for being made in Bogura, Bangladesh. Our main aim is to ensure quality and so, we are heavily focused on this aspect. We strive to provide the best to our local market and hope to continue to do so and slowly take it to the next level.