Pran Special Toast Biscuit

I just finished a whole packet of these crispy toast biscuits. Well, my kids ate most of them. Luckily I have another bag of these that I bought in Dhaka and will opening that now. These are available all over Bangladesh and in most Bangladeshi stores all over the world. You do pay more for it outside of Bangladesh but they are worth it. They have somewhat sweet taste and are very crunchy and go really well with a cup of tea or coffee.

manufacturer/distributors/sellers of this product:
Pran Foods

US Polo Association Sweater

I was killing time at a local TJMaxx and started browsing through the clothes rack to see what I could find from the latest arrivals that were made in Bangladesh. The first few I saw were made in Vietnam but then I saw this rack. I don't think I saw US Polo Association brand made in Bangladesh before so this is a new addition brand for this blog :)

Aarong Shalwar Kameez

The picture don't do justice here for the color. I tried to take few shots with various setting but no luck. This is a very colorful yet very tasteful Shalwar Kameez for women. The fabric is cotton and very comfortable from what I was told. Aarong of course doesn't need any introduction - this is a very popular destination for Bangladeshis as well as foreigners visiting Dhaka.

manufacturer/distributors/sellers of this product:
Aarong

Pran Jhal Muri

Very tasty snack food item. Only problem with these is that once you open the pack, it's hard to stop eating. They go really good with afternoon tea or snack alone or with friends.

manufacturer/distributors/sellers of this product:
Pran Foods

Karupalli Men's Panjabi

Traditional Bangladeshi design and made with 100% cotton fabric. You can buy them at display centers in Dhaka and I am sure in other major cities of Bangladesh. A unique thing about this boutique brand is that their products are made by rural women artisans as part of
poverty alleviation projects.

Ralph Lauren Hampton's Tea Set

Bangladesh has been making ceramic products for local market for decades since it's the establishment of Tajma Ceramic Industries Ltd in Bogra in the 1950s. The export market for ceramic products is experiencing fast growth to dozens of countries. You can find Bangladeshi ceramic products at major department stores in Europe and Americas like Macy's and Bloomingdale's. Don't be surprised to find fine quality China under major brands that are made in Bangladesh like this one by Ralph Lauren.

Gymboree Boy's Fleece Sweater

This very soft and handsome Diamond pattern sweater just caught my eyes after I got this as a present for my son. Gymboree always carry well-made and fine taste clothing for kids and this is no exception. I immediately looked at the tag and I was happy to see that it was made in Bangladesh.

manufacturer/distributors/sellers of this product:
Gymboree

Nicobena Olive Hot Pickle

I have few favorite brands of pickles and Nicobena is one of them. I hear the same from friends about this brand. This particular one is made of lives grown in the northeast part of the country. You can find them at almost any stores in Bangladesh as well as Indian/Bangladeshi stores in other parts of the world along with other popular brands like Ahmed's.

Sada Kalo Coffee Mug Set

Set of hand painted coffee/tea mugs from Sada Kalo that says Baba (Father) and Ma (Mother) in Bangla - perfect for gifts in Father's Day or Mother's day or for any day for that matter. I got these as gifts and use them often and always get asked where I got them from because they are so unique.

You can visit their showroom in Banani Road 11, Gulshan, Dhanmondi, Uttara and Panthapath in Dhaka to find treasures like these. They also just opened a showroom in Jackson Heights in New York.

Extreme Jelly Belly T-Shirt

You know about the world famous Jelly Belly? Well who doesn't. I was at their factory recently for a tour and like most tours, at the end this leads you to their souvenir shop. I was just browsing around and checking out things that maybe made in Bangladesh. Guess what? I found some of their high-end T-Shirts and Sweat Shirts there with Jelly Belly logo that were made in Bangladesh. I was happy to see Bangladesh made ones were among the better quality products there and not the cheapest ones. Okay now that I have Jelly Belly covered, I will move on to find the next one :)

National Pure CTC Tea

Bangladesh is top 11th tea producing nation in the world based on Wikipedia data. Local consumption is huge also but for poor management it isn't ranked in the top 10 tea producing nations. There are over 150 tea gardens in Bangladesh primarily in Sylhet and Chittagong. It is an export item and the tea on your table may well be from Bangladesh. National Tea is one of many brands of the country.

Doel Laptop Computer

Laptop computers made in Bangladesh? Yes, it is happening and at an affordable price. We have been hearing about US$100 laptops for developing nations for a long time. It's a reality now, for at least Bangladesh - few models of Doel brand laptop computers will soon be available to the masses for starting price of just over US$100. This is of course a major stride towards "Digital Bangladesh" phraseword that we have been hearing from the current government. This is a result of government backed joint collaboration between Bangladesh Telephone Shilpa Sangstha Limited and Malaysis Thina Film Transistor. Perhaps these laptops will be be able to capture markets of other developing nations and we will see these in use from all the way from Netrokona to Niger Delta. I also hope to see this opening up a whole new export market of Bangladesh made quality computer parts at an affordable price.

manufacturer/distributors/sellers of this product:
Telephone Shilpa Sangstha Limited (TSS)
DOEL Series Laptop

RFL Plastic Chair

Plastic chairs were not even available when many of us were growing up in Bangladesh. Now they are all over and are very affordable. RFL brand is definitely on top of the list now when it comes to these plastic products. I have not seen them in Wal-Mart or other major retailers in America yet but their quality products hopefully will end up in the western market.

manufacturer/distributors/sellers of this product:
RFL Plastics Ltd
RFL Group

Gymboree Boy's T-Shirt

Style for your kids this summer.

Enzian

Ananda Shipyard and Slipways Limited (ASSL). currently the largest private sector shipyard in Bangladesh, rolled out Enzian, an ocean going multi-purpose vessel at Meghnaghat in Narayanganj outside of Dhaka. This is the largest ever locally built ship for export to date with capacity of 6100 dead weight tonnage, 110.9 metre long and 16.5 metre wide. This was built for Komrowski Matitime Gmbh of Germany.

manufacturer/distributors/sellers of this product:
Ananda Shipyard
Ananda Group

Aarong Cotton Designer Boutique Bag

Picture don't do justice here. These bags are really colorful and well-made. They come in all different sizes - this particular one is large one that can hold your laptop or few light books or your ipad. Well, you can use it for anything and still look cool!

manufacturer/distributors/sellers of this product:
Aarong

Karupalli Boy's Fatua

KARUPALLI is a traditional rural crafts shop that provides an outlet for various handicrafts and products produced by members of cooperatives and groups. It sells a variety of goods including, handicrafts, household items, herbal products, clothes and organic foodstuffs.

manufacturer/distributors/sellers of this product:
Bangladesh Rural Development Board

Nike Men's Polo Shirt

You didn't think Nike was also made in Bangladesh? Oh yes, they are made there and made very well. I wore this Polo/Tennis shirt many times and it went through wash countless times before it ended up in Goodwill stores.

Monno Espresso Coffee Cup and Saucer

Your favorite store Pier 1 sells fine porcelain and bone china made in Bangladesh. This particular Espresso coffee cup and saucer was made by one of Bangladesh's oldest and best company making and exporting such products. This set has White with gold rim on saucer and gold lettering around rim of cup. The words "Espresso Cafe" is in gold block lettering around the rim.

manufacturer/distributors/sellers of this product:
Monno Ceramic Industries
Pier 1 Imports
Ebay

Artisti Kurtas

Artisti make real fancy kurtas for men that can be worn in formal parties and weddings. This particular one is soft black stripe and fine fabric that looks formal but feels very comfortable even in hot days.

Nova Toast Biscuit

This is one of my personal favorites. Usually toast biscuits are very similar in taste but this one just has that special taste. It goes well with your tea or just plain...even kids love it!

Mumtaz Tube Mehendi

Mehendi or Henna has always been popular to us Bangladeshis and Indo-Pakistanis but now it has also become a fashion item for westerners. Most of the ready to use ones we buy in America and Eurpoe are from India but now Bangladesh is also making very quality products to cater the customers of Mehendi or Henna.

Ejab Kiddo Custard Cake

These are mouth watering cakes that work great at quick snacks - no need to keep them refrigerated so perfect for hot countries like Bangladesh. You just take them out of the package and eat them. These are found in all small and large shops all over Dhaka.

Joseph Abboud Men's Shirt

You can buy these JOE Joseph Abboud collection shirts at JCPenny's in the US. This particular one is dressy slim fit that is good with Jeans or Dress Pants.

Jatra Little Girl's Saree

Another boutique and another cool deshi name "Jatra". They make wonderful sarees for little girls. These are pre-stitched and I have seen little girls of age 6 and under wearing these at social events, running around and playing around without having their mother's help them re-wrap the sarees every few minutes. This particular one is made of very high quality cotton and very rich red and green color.

Radhuni Pure Mustard Oil

Seriously, I have tried Mustard Oil from many countries but Bangladeshi Mustard Oil simple has that zesty taste to it that none other do. Try it for yourself and you will know what I mean. Radhuni is one of the brands that is exported all over the world but there are many other ones too.

Haque Mr Cookie

Someone told me that Haque makes the best cookies in Bangladesh - they are very good but I think there are many other ones that are as good.

Aarong Coffee Mug with Bangla Alphabets

Really colorful yet sophisticated looking coffee or tea mugs for Bangladeshis to express their patriotism or for non-Bangladeshis with something unique with Bangla alphabets.

Charka Little Girl's Shalwar Kameez

Colorful and stunning Shalwar Kameez like this one is made by one of many boutiques like Charka. It is no longer uncool to have brand names in Bangla language - it doesn't have to be a English, French or Italian name to make it cool.

Teer Shuji (Semolina)

Semolina made by Teer are delicious and available at a fraction of a cost than other foreign made ones including the neighboring countries of Bangladesh.

Aarong Men's Fatua

Sufala Beej Borboti (Green Beans)

Most of the streetside nurseries like the ones in Arargaon in Dhaka carries variety of seeds for flowers, fruits and vegetables. These vendors seem to be knowledgable about how and when to plant them and take care of them.