Keeping in mind the growing concerns regarding the use of plastic and its detrimental impact on the environment, Jessore’s Nasima Akhtar has invented pens made of paper to reduce plastic use, turning heads of many locals.
Nasima, mother of two, lives in the town’s lonpara office area. Due to poverty, she dropped out from school when she was in class four, but the poverty failed to kill her talent.
The materials used for making her pens are colourful papers, glue, sticker, stapler’s pin and a refill. The pen has been named “Shuvo Eco-Friendly Pen”. Shuvo is Nasima’s younger son.
While speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Nasima said that the pens contain a plastic refill but the body has been made with paper. She intends to find an alternative to the plastic refill.
“Thousands of plastic pens are being used and discarded every day. As the plastic is non-biodegradable, it is harming the environment. But my pen made of paper is biodegradable, for this reason customers like my product,” Nasima said.
“I can make 200-250 pens just with my two hands in a day and these pens are being sold at Tk5 per piece,” she added.
Although Nasima invented the pen first in 2007, she felt shy in marketing the pen thinking customers would not be interested in buying this pen.
Photo: Dhaka Tribune
However, in June last year, she first made 100 pieces of pens commercially and started supplying the items to different schools and colleges in Jessore.
Syed Mizanur Rahman, headmaster of Jessore Abdus Samad Memorial Academy, said: “Nasima came to me to sell the pens in my schools. I bought several pens from her as her pen is biodegradable which is beneficial for the environment.”
Besides, his 11th grader son Shuvo helps Nasima to sell the pens in different shops in Jessore town.
Shuvo said the customers were buying the pens after he described to them the usefulness of this eco-friendly pen.
Nasima was doing a brisk business. But the Covid-19 pandemic cut short her sales as the educational institutions have been declared shut in order to contain the virus transmission.
Recently Nasima met Jessore Superintendent of Police Muhammad Asraf Hossain and sought his help to market her eco-friendly pen.
Contacted, Muhammad Asraf Hossain said: “Nasima Akhtar has made pens which is completely eco- friendly. On top of that, many people become involved with antisocial activities because of poverty. But Nasima did not do that, instead she invented an environment-friendly pen.
“We applaud her effort and will help her to sell the pens in the market,” the SP added.
