Neither family, nor society, nor the harshest turns of life can crush a person’s dreams and will — so long as they hold the unyielding will to stand back up. In our society, many women fight quiet battles every single day. Mitu Akter is one of them. Storms nearly sank her boat more than once, but she refused to give up, and through her intelligence, hard work and courage she wrote a new story of triumph. Starting from nothing, she has not only changed her own fate — she has become an inspiration to around ten more young people. Today, she is a successful freelancer.

Her home is Bezgaon, a familiar village in Louhajong upazila of Munshiganj, a calm and scenic settlement by the river. Her father, Md. Abul Hossain Sheikh, worked as a surveyor, known locally as an amin, spending his days measuring land and settling accounts. Her mother, Shiuli Begum, was the affectionate shadow of the whole family. Mitu Akter is the youngest of four siblings — three brothers and the only sister, herself. Her childhood and youth passed in the tender care of her siblings and the shelter of her parents. In November 2016, she was married; the following year, on 10 October 2017, a new light arrived in her arms — her only son, Safat Nur Alif.

Around 2019, a major storm swept through Mitu’s personal life. Friction grew within the family, and eventually she had to face separation from her husband. At the time, her son was barely six months old. Without a higher education certificate and without enough support from her family, she had to fight alone to take responsibility for herself and her child — and she endured plenty of harsh talk from society as well.

Driven by the need to stand on her own feet, she began searching the internet for respectable work — work that would bring her financial security and self-respect from home. In late 2020, she begged her brother for his old, broken laptop. She had it repaired with great difficulty and started learning graphic design. But after the separation, the laptop broke down once more on the way back from her in-laws’ home. Mitu sank back into deep despair.

“I had nowhere left to go. I couldn’t figure out what to do. I convinced my mother that if she could somehow arrange the money, I would take a digital marketing course. Without telling anyone, my mother sold her own earrings and handed me the money, saying, ‘The day you start earning, buy them back for me.’ That day, my mother stood as a shield beside me,” Mitu Akter told Prothom Alo.

Later, she began to work with deep focus on her areas of interest — SEO (search engine optimization) and digital marketing. To sharpen her skills, she enrolled at Creative IT training centre. Despite every adversity — the faulty laptop and severe financial hardship — she never let go.

Through relentless hard work and perseverance, she landed her first job — USD 120 from an Italian client on Fiverr, the outsourcing marketplace. After that, there was no turning back. Her workload grew steadily, and eventually Mitu became a Level 2 seller on Fiverr and a Top Rated freelancer on Upwork.

In time, she took on a partner, formed a team and built her own company, “B Marketing Agency”. Today, around ten young men and women work at the agency, remotely. Beyond Fiverr, through direct client communication, SEO and graphic design, the agency now operates with growing recognition on the international stage. Starting from zero, she has not only built a career for herself but also created employment opportunities for other young people.

Amid the demands of home and parenting, Mitu decided to keep the unfinished chapter of her education open. In 2023, she sat for the SSC examination through Bangladesh Open University and passed successfully. She did not stop at SSC — she is now completing her bachelor’s degree (BBA) through the Open University.

“It is hard to express in words how difficult my struggle was. But with mental strength and the right guidance, it is possible to overcome any adversity and succeed. I have not only removed the darkness from my own life; I made my own path, ignoring society’s many wrong notions. I bought back with my own earnings the earrings my mother had sold. I am fulfilling my small dreams one by one — I even bought a scooter with my own money,” Mitu Akter said.

“After walking such a hard road, today I have built my own address. Once, I was cheated in the course of work, and when everyone around me said, ‘You can’t do it,’ that was exactly when I found the strength within myself. Today my only child is entirely in my custody, and all his responsibilities rest on my own shoulders. I have proved that the veil is not a barrier — you can work successfully while keeping it. After the divorce, I never moved back to my father’s house. Keeping my self-respect, I rented a house and lived separately with my son. Instead of giving up, I learned to drive and obtained a driving licence. By the grace of Allah, I have bought land with my savings and will very soon begin building my own house. Today all my dreams are coming true one by one, and those who once said, ‘She can’t,’ are now the ones applauding me. But I would tell women: no one is born knowing everything — anyone can learn with time and practice,” she added.

Mitu Akter believes digital marketing plays an immense role today in online business, in promoting products or services, and in building brand recognition. She says young people can take themselves far professionally by learning to use social media, search engines and other platforms effectively. However, mastering any new subject requires strong patience, interest and consistency — and in a fast-changing field like digital marketing, it is especially vital to keep learning new strategies and applying them. “Creative IT contributed particularly to my learning — as eager as I was to learn, they were to teach. I have told the true story behind this achievement,” she said.

This difficult journey has given Mitu a new goal. She no longer wants to stay limited to her own success; she wants to work with the women who have fallen behind because of social or family barriers — especially those who hesitate to express opinions or work outside the home. She is taking the initiative to build a platform to provide them with core freelancing skills and the necessary training. Her central goal is to make more women skilled, confident and self-reliant.