Ctg man’s pink salt venture paves new business path | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Epaper
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Banking
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Saturday
May 31, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Epaper
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Banking
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2025
Ctg man’s pink salt venture paves new business path

Bangladesh

Jobaer Chowdhury
26 January, 2025, 09:00 am
Last modified: 26 January, 2025, 09:10 am

Related News

  • 4 ships wash ashore in Chattogram amid rough weather
  • Chattogram hit by 198mm rainfall in 24 hours; risks of landslide high, sea turbulent, flights disrupted
  • Apollo Imperial Hospital performs Ctg's first-ever conjoined twin separation surgery 
  • Swechchhasebak Dal leader killed during clash between rival groups in Sitakunda
  • Chattogram chapter of Bangladesh Economics Olympiad set for tomorrow

Ctg man’s pink salt venture paves new business path

Arafath’s pink salt sourced from Himalayan foothills in Pakistan’s Punjab

Jobaer Chowdhury
26 January, 2025, 09:00 am
Last modified: 26 January, 2025, 09:10 am

Infographic: TBS
Infographic: TBS

Within a year of launching his dairy farm in 2016, Mohammad Yeasin Arafath faced a major crisis. Despite regular vaccinations and medications, his 70 goats and a few cows began suffering from declining milk production, hair loss, and premature births. 

Besides, unusual behaviours, such as licking walls and dirt, were observed. 

Seeking answers, Arafath turned to his younger brother, Omar Faruq, a fisheries student at Humboldt University in Germany. Omar identified the issue: a severe mineral deficiency, and recommended animal lick salt blocks, also known as rock salt blocks, to address the problem.

However, Arafath couldn't find the product in any Chattogram market.

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

Undeterred, he took his search online for reliable suppliers. During this time, the Covid-19 pandemic forced him to close his goat farm.

Refusing to give up, he contacted a certified supplier in Pakistan and navigated the complex process of obtaining government approvals. 

In May 2023, after overcoming numerous hurdles, Arafath's company, Warda & Jubayer Agro Industries Limited, became the first in Bangladesh to import 25 tonnes of pink mineral animal lick salt block.

"The journey was tough," Arafath told The Business Standard. "There was no precedent for importing such a product in Bangladesh. We had to convince the livestock ministry, and they finally approved it."

Today, top farms like Mamata Dairy, Molla Dairy, Abul Khair Dairy, and Nahar Agro are among Arafath's satisfied clients. 

In the past 18 months, he has imported nearly 100 tonnes of animal lock salt blocks from Pakistan's Peak Minerals Private Limited, supplying farms of all sizes and offering free samples to support small farmers.

Animal lick salt contains 84 minerals, and a 3kg block is typically placed in front of cattle and goats to lick. A single cow can consume a block in 25 days, while a goat may take one to two months. The product is priced at Tk185–Tk190 per kg.

Ruhul Amin Labi, in charge of OG Agro, praised the product's quality: "We've been using rock salt stone for almost four years. We previously sourced from Khatunganj, but the quality wasn't great. For over a year, we've been sourcing from Warda & Jubayer, and the quality has been excellent."

Mohammad Alamgir, district livestock officer, said many farms in Chattogram now use lick salt blocks, reporting great results. "It's filling the mineral gap in livestock, and we encourage farmers with good management practices to use it," he said.

Pink salt for human consumption

In addition to animal lick salt blocks, Arafath also imports pink salt for human consumption from the Khewra Salt Mines, located at the foothills of the Himalayas in Pakistan's Punjab province. 

This salt is not only rich in sodium chloride, but also contains essential macro and micro-nutrients like iron, magnesium, chromium, sulfate, and zinc, said Arafath.  

Consuming pink salt offers a range of health benefits, including reducing bad cholesterol, aiding weight loss, improving digestive health, promoting healthy blood pressure, and alleviating stress, joint pain, and symptoms of conditions like diabetes, asthma, and arthritis. 

Arafath, having researched the product, began importing Himalayan pink salt through Pakistan's Peak Minerals in 2024. Currently, Arafath's company supplies pink salt in bulk to House of Harmony, an organic food supplier, where it is sold at Tk980 to Tk1,000 per kg.

"To ensure quality, I source from companies certified by eight international bodies, including ISO, GMP, FDA, BRC, KOSHER, and HACCP," said Arafath. "After that, we package it in a hygienic environment at our factory. Gradually, demand is growing."

He added that many have approached him for wholesale purchases, but due to the risk of counterfeiting, he declined. "Next month, we will launch our own brand, Pink Mineral, and market Humalayan pink salt directly."

Future plans

Arafath has established a small yet dynamic factory on 40 decimal land in Boalkhali, Chattogram, under Warda & Jubayer Agro. He is working toward exporting packaged products to European markets and is venturing into ready-to-cook and frozen foods made with pink salt. 

The company, which received registration from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) in 2023, has invested nearly Tk5 crore and employs 30 people. 

"Chinese and Indian companies are already packaging and marketing similar products in Europe," Arafath said. "If they can do it, why can't we?"

Looking ahead, Arafath plans to revive his dairy farm and launch frozen dalpuri, multi-grain roti, fishballs, meatballs, and chicken nuggets made with pink salt.

"I'm moving forward with export plans, and this is just the beginning," he added.

Top News

Salt / pink salt / business / Chattogram

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus meets Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru in Japan on 30 May 2025. Photo: CA Office
    Bangladesh, Japan to sign Economic Partnership Agreement by year-end
  • File photo of BNP BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury
    Speaking about country’s problems in foreign trips won’t solve them: Khasru takes jibe at Yunus
  • Representational image. Photo: Collected
    'Heavy to very heavy' rainfall expected across country as land depression weakens further

MOST VIEWED

  • Photo: Courtesy
    New notes featuring historic, archaeological structures of Bangladesh to be circulated from 1 June
  • Two Memoranda of Understanding were signed at the seminar titled “Bangladesh Seminar on Human Resources,” in Tokyo on 29 May 2025. Photo: CA Press Wing
    Japan to recruit 100,000 Bangladeshi workers over next 5 years
  • BAT Bangladesh has to vacate Mohakhali HQ as SC rejects lease appeal
    BAT Bangladesh has to vacate Mohakhali HQ as SC rejects lease appeal
  • Representational Photo: Collected
    Country's all jewellery shops to remain indefinitely closed in protest of VP Reponul's arrest: Bajus
  • Khondoker Rashed Maqsood. File Photo: Collected
    Investors urge removal of BSEC chairman in meeting with CA’s special assistant, submit list of demands
  • Illustration: TBS
    Bangladesh repays $3.5b foreign debt in 10 months of FY25

Related News

  • 4 ships wash ashore in Chattogram amid rough weather
  • Chattogram hit by 198mm rainfall in 24 hours; risks of landslide high, sea turbulent, flights disrupted
  • Apollo Imperial Hospital performs Ctg's first-ever conjoined twin separation surgery 
  • Swechchhasebak Dal leader killed during clash between rival groups in Sitakunda
  • Chattogram chapter of Bangladesh Economics Olympiad set for tomorrow

Features

Babar Ali, Ikramul Hasan Shakil, and Wasfia Nazreen are leading a bold resurgence in Bangladeshi mountaineering, scaling eight-thousanders like Everest, Annapurna I, and K2. Photos: Collected

Back to 8000 metres: How Bangladesh’s mountaineers emerged from a decade-long pause

8h | Panorama
Photos: Courtesy

Behind the looks: Bangladeshi designers shaping celebrity fashion

10h | Mode
Photo collage of the sailors and their catch. Photos: Shahid Sarkar

Between sky and sea: The thrilling life afloat on a fishing ship

15h | Features
For hundreds of small fishermen living near this delicate area, sustainable fishing is a necessity for their survival. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

World Ocean Day: Bangladesh’s ‘Silent Island’ provides a fisheries model for the future

1d | The Big Picture

More Videos from TBS

Six Lakh Sacrificial Animals Ready in Sirajganj for Eid-ul-Adha

Six Lakh Sacrificial Animals Ready in Sirajganj for Eid-ul-Adha

5h | TBS Stories
Six MoUs signed during Chief Advisor's visit to Japan

Six MoUs signed during Chief Advisor's visit to Japan

9h | TBS Today
Record migrant deaths in 2024

Record migrant deaths in 2024

1d | Podcast
Govt likely to trim subsidies in new budget

Govt likely to trim subsidies in new budget

12h | TBS Insight
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net