Afroza's dream—a path of light for thousands of women

Today, she has turned that dream into reality. Through Ujjwala, she has empowered more than 14,000 women. Ujjwala is now providing a new direction to Bangladesh’s beauty and SME industries as a guide and pioneer. Inspired and trained by Ujjwala, many women are now working independently at home and abroad and supporting their families.

Afroza’s dream is to establish a university in this country where cosmetology will be taught. She loves dreaming and never hesitates to work towards turning those dreams into reality.

This book, “Cholo Egiye Jai” (Let Us Move Forward), is one manifestation of her dream.

The book was unveiled at a launching programme in the capital recently. The event brought together entrepreneurs from the beauty industry, writers, poets, journalists, beauty experts and fashion designers.

“I have not only brought these entrepreneurs into the spotlight; I have also given them the mental strength to become self-reliant and contribute to society. There was a time when some of them did not even have the courage to speak up at home. Today, they are contributing not only to their families but also to the country’s economy,” said Afroza Parveen.

The event was attended by prominent guests, including beauty expert Kaniz Alamas Khan, President of the Bangladesh Women’s Chamber of Commerce Sangita Ahmed, Deputy Managing Director of the SME Foundation Farzana Khan, Bangla Academy Award-winning writer Nasima Anis, writer, editor and publisher Nahida Ashrafi, and actor Afsana Mimi, who hosted the programme.

Kaniz Alamas Khan addressed the gathering, praising the initiative and highlighting the important role women play in Bangladesh’s beauty services sector.

Sangita Ahmed and Farzana Khan spoke about the challenges women face in their professional journeys. Both expressed their pride in seeing women move forward despite these obstacles.

Sangita Ahmed said she looked forward to the second volume of Cholo Egiye Jai. Farzana Khan, meanwhile, said she would have been happy to be the 100th woman featured in the book.

Three of the entrepreneurs featured in the book-Maruf Munna, Mohsina Munni and Ikra Ahsan Chowdhury-also shared their stories at the event. Each has faced challenges at different stages of life and built their careers by overcoming those obstacles. They expressed their gratitude to Ujjwala and Afroza Parveen for their support and encouragement.

Nasima Anis said, “Creating women entrepreneurs in the beauty sector is an important initiative in the developing world. Women in our society contribute labour to their families, but that labour often has no financial value. This is a major reason for their vulnerability. When a woman entrepreneur begins to earn, she starts contributing to her family and society. Society is then compelled to recognise her. The work Afroza Parveen has undertaken from her position deserves appreciation.”

Nahida Ashrafi congratulated the entrepreneurs featured in Cholo Egiye Jai, edited by Afroza Parveen.

“When a makeup artist transforms someone, they do not simply enhance their external appearance; they also make them more confident. For this, we can truly respect them from our hearts. In a way, we are all beauticians. Some of us work with words, while others work with makeup,” she said.

She added that awakening this consciousness of beauty and aesthetics could help society move much further forward.

In her vote of thanks, Afroza Parveen spoke about Ujjwala’s journey and its efforts to create opportunities for women beauty professionals. She also spoke about the publication of Cholo Egiye Jai and expressed her gratitude to everyone who contributed to the initiative and attended the event.

Following her remarks, the guests formally unveiled Cholo Egiye Jai.

The event was hosted by prominent and popular actor Afsana Mimi. Beyond her role as presenter, she kept the programme engaging with her lively and thoughtful interactions. She also recited an excerpt from a poem by Shankha Ghosh.

The event concluded with a musical performance by Antara Ray Chowdhury.