About the Organization

Aarong is BRAC's flagship social enterprise and one of Bangladesh's most beloved lifestyle and fashion retail brands, built on a mission of rural livelihood creation. Aarong, whose name means "village fair" in Bengali, is a social enterprise chain of Bangladeshi department stores specialising in Bengali ethnic wear and handicrafts, owned by the non-profit development organisation BRAC, and employing thousands of rural artisans across the country. It was founded in the late 1970s as a means of connecting rural producers with urban markets; founded in 1978, Aarong was created to generate livelihoods in rural Bangladesh and to connect artisans in remote villages with consumers in urban areas. Its origins trace to a pioneering individual; in 1976, Ayesha Abed, the late wife of BRAC founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, initiated many of Aarong's major activities by identifying and experimenting with crafts that women could produce at home.

Today Aarong is both a major retailer and a vast artisan network, led by Managing Director Tamara Hasan Abed. Its scale and social reach are substantial; it now has 31 stores across Bangladesh, including the world's largest craft store, ships globally, and partners with over 87,000 artisans, 85% of whom are women, who create handcrafted textiles, jewellery, leatherwork, pottery, baskets, and woodcraft. Beyond commerce, it has shaped the country's cultural fabric; Aarong has played a pioneering role in developing, promoting, and protecting the rich heritage of Bangladeshi crafts such as Nakshi Kantha and Jamdani, leaving an indelible mark on the country's fashion industry.

Business Operations

Aarong operates as a fair-trade retail enterprise underpinned by a deep rural production network. At the heart of its supply chain is the Ayesha Abed Foundation, which employs over 30,000 artisans across 15 production centres and more than 800 sub-centres, ensuring artisans receive comprehensive benefits including healthcare access, legal aid, gender-awareness training, and retirement benefits. Its commercial model has been deliberately structured to protect producers from the outset; from the very first day, Aarong maintained the policy of paying its artisans and producers when products were delivered, with Aarong taking on the risk and responsibility of financing and selling the inventory.

The brand's product range has broadened considerably from its handicraft roots. Initially focused on handmade clothing, the brand diversified into product lines including jewellery, leather, metal, and wood, and, rooted in sustainability, introduced environmentally responsible practices including renewable energy use, water recycling, and energy-efficient production, while its commitment to fair trade ensures artisans receive equitable pay and safe working conditions. As a BRAC enterprise, its commercial success also serves a larger development purpose; since 1978, surplus from Aarong has been directed back to BRAC's development programmes, reflecting how the organisation's social enterprises prove that business can be a force for lasting good.

Affiliations With BUP Career Club

Aarong has a confirmed relationship with the BUP Career Club as a sponsor of its flagship event. Aarong supported the BUP Career and Education Fest 2023 as its Co-sponsor, with the event, in collaboration with PEC Education and Takeout, bringing the participation of 35-plus national and multinational companies to booths on campus. That edition served its central purpose of connecting students with employers; it provided BUP students the opportunity to network with prospective employers, submit their resumes, and learn about the wide variety of career paths available to them. Aarong's engagement with universities is a broader pattern; its careers activities have included a "Community Meetup" session with representatives of 13 universities. Aarong again joins in the 9th edition of BUP Career and Education Fest 2026 as a participating company.

This affiliation reflects a strong, natural fit between the two organisations. The BUP Career Club works to create a bridge between the corporate world and the university, helping fresh graduates reach their desired professions while equipping students with the skills to stay ahead of the competition. As Bangladesh's leading lifestyle retail brand and a globally recognised social enterprise, Aarong offers BUP students exposure to careers spanning retail and merchandising, design, supply chain, marketing, and social-enterprise management, while reinforcing its connection with the country's emerging professional talent and its mission-driven brand among young people.