People take many a steps to protect their lives and property. As a security system, they use all advanced technologies including locks and keys, high walls, impenetrable fences, and CCTV cameras. It is as if in this time of mistrust, from individuals to society, no one wants to trust another person easily.
However, Kushtia’s Hamidur Rahman Shipon has set an example of faith in the crowd of distrust and lack of trust. Hailing from Kazipara area of Kumarkhali, 42-year-old Shipon is a hawker; he sells towels, handkerchiefs, lungis and sarees on bus, sometimes on train and sometimes on the streets.
His shop on the platform of Kumarkhali railway station has been running without a shopkeeper from morning till night for almost ten years. There has never been any theft in this store, locals testify.
The shop is named as “Bhinno Rokom Dokan” (“a different shop” in English).
There are no security personnel either. Each product has a price written on it. Customers buy their desired product and put the money in the cash box. It has never happened that someone has not paid for a product. Despite the fact that there is no shopkeeper, there has never been a theft there.
There are handkerchiefs hung in front of the shop, each having a price written on it. Apart from this, the store has various products including towels, towels, three-pieces, sarees, t-shirts, children's clothes, and gloves and socks.
“I am a hawker. I will not be able to support my family if I just sit in the shop. So I go around different areas selling my products. At the same time, the shop is running. When customers come to the store and like a product, they see the price list and pay the money in the box hanging in front of the store,” Shipon told this correspondent.
"I don't worry about theft. I believe in people. And I do business on faith. Because I believe in myself, I go round and round to get people's love. This has been going on for the past ten years.
“My daily income from the shop is Tk500-600. Every day the shop opens at 9am and closes at 11pm,” Shipon said, adding that he pays a monthly rent of Tk600.
“Due to economic hardship, I could not study after class VIII. However, my two daughters and one son study despite the hardships. The elder girl is doing her graduation in Pangsha College while two others are studying in class III and VII,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
Shipon has arranged free drinking water to passengers at the station. For this, he bought a water purifier for Tk1,800. He also makes arrangements for the patients who cannot board the train.
He donated two fans to the station for the comfort of the passengers by saving money from the sale of handkerchiefs. “If someone dies, I publish it for free,” Shipon said.