Gazi Shameema Hossain does not need a show room Io display her products. A visit to her house is enough to learn about Shameema s talents and her products. She is the owner of Shameema Boutique at 2/1. Nayapaltan. Dhaka.

However, this is not your normal everyday boutique. Shameema laughs and calls it a household' boutique, that is. the items found here are designed to dress the house rather than the owner.

She provides items to decorate every room of the house, from drawing room sets to bathroom sets. I love decorating my own house, and I used Io see other people bring, for example, a kitchen set (aprons and matching potholders and towels) from abroad. Seeing those. I realised I could make the same things more cheaply with what was available here. So I decided to start my business."

Her designs are interesting mixtures of modern western styles and traditional Bangladeshi craftsmanship. "Since I was a child. I used to love poring over foreign catalogue. Most of my designs are based on those. However. I use deshi materials innovatively to bring out the best in them." she says.

For example, her living room is decorated with earthen pots that have been enhanced by zari. glass and textile (an item that is also sold at her boutique). She is also planning to use Grameen Check to create a dressing gown and night dress set.

Simultaneously, she Is producing Shahi Pan Masala . "This, is based on a Gujrati recjpe that I learned from my sisfer's mother-in law. Before, I used to spend Taka 25 to 50 per month to make it for myself. Now it is a Tk. 50.000 project."

Shameema buys the ingredients herself to ensure quality of the product. Then she has it manually ground because if it is ground in a machine the texture suffers, she says. Her pan masala is supplied to various restaurants. beauty parlours. Arong and other places.

She started her pan masala business in ’1992 and her boutique 1993. Till then she had been working at an

international trading house but she wanted to do some thing on her own.

Shameema decided to start with the pan masala be cause she felt a food item had a greater chance of succeeding. However, she thought she should belter have some thing else on the side (the boutique) so as to further improve her chances.

"I was taking a big risk leaving the security of a job and so I was verv worried.

But my family really encouraged me. especially my mother. She gave me a Tk 100 to start my pan masala business with. And that's exactly what I started with." recalls Shameema.

For two years Shameema ran the business by rolling the profits back into the business. After that she took loans from MIDAS and expanded. She also tried to get loans from banks but was unsuccessful.

"1 remember going to Agrani Bank and they had a hard lime believing that a woman could do business Later, when their special programme for women was created. I became the first female to get a loan from them. Now they keep a file on me." laughs Shameema

Shameema s primary inspiration is her mother At 85 her mother still runs her own business — Ruposhi Uptaii . She refuses to retire

because she is very Independent person and does not want to depend on any of her children. Also because she believes in keeping herself busy." says Shameema.

Shameema. 42. has followed her mother's example. , A graduate of Eden College, she also had Montessori training and taught in a school for seven years. This was followed by another seven years at the trading house. Now. besides running

her businesses. Shameema is the secretary of Zonta Club and a member of the WEA.

An educated female s sitting at home is tantamount to an insult." she says. Shameema believes that edu cation Is of utmost importance to women. The more women understand, the more free they can be."

For example, there is the misconception that women are supposed to be restricted within the house and should not come out. "In today's economic situation a two-in come family Is a must. Otherwise, too much pressure is put on the husband. This leads to an unhappy family hfe. she says.

According Io Shameema. Bangladeshi women have progressed far When I was young, early marriages were a norm. I don't think women should be married off when they are too young, because many limes what they want may not coincide with what their husbands want." she says. "Younger women don't often have the confidence to stand up for what they want and many times they don't even know yet what they want."

She was very upset when her husband did not let her go to Art College soon after her marriage. 'My mother is very artistic. Even Joinal Abedin had his sons wedding alpona done by her. Everyone says I have inherited her looks and talents. I neally wanted to go but he didn't let me."

However, she is making up for it by taking private art lessons now. Her pieces adorn her living room and reveal that she does have tal-<

Tnj-XaMI itaKTIfplannlo# to incorporate her art work into her business. Shameema laughs. "Right now it's just tor personal pleasure."

Her husband. Moazzem Hossain Bulu. has come to appreciate her talents very much. "His Une is different (he is a photographer) but he encourages me as much as possible. Whenever I take stalls at fairs he and the children are more than happy to help out." she says. His pride in her is evident as he shows visitors around the house quietly pointing out whatever Shameema's done herself.