Mst. Sadia Alam Setu struggled to photograph her hand-painted artwork. The talented artist with disabilities would hold up her colorful creations to her smartphone camera, but the images came out dull and unprofessional. Customers scrolled past without stopping.
Then came a 10-minute video lesson in Bangla. Simple instructions: find natural light, try different angles, keep the background clean. Within weeks, Setu's brand Attoja was receiving orders from beyond her local area. "Through our mobile photography and online sales training, she was able to showcase her products professionally and attract buyers beyond her local area," explains the BeshiDeshi team, the company behind the video lesson. "Today, she receives consistent orders, and with the support of our Inventory Investment Program combined with training, her brand has become sustainable and inspiring for others."
Setu's transformation captures what BeshiDeshi has built since 2018: not just Bangladesh's largest digital marketplace for locally-made products, but an education platform that fits in every artisan's pocket.
BeshiDeshi started in 2018 with a simple mission: connect Bangladesh's skilled artisans with customers through a digital marketplace. From a small operation, the company has come a long way. Today, the platform hosts over 30,000 products across 200+ categories from 5,000+ artisans/product partners. But the team quickly realized that building a platform wasn't enough.
"When we started BeshiDeshi in 2018, the primary goal was to connect artisans with customers through a digital marketplace," explains BeshiDeshi Founder Zeeshan Khurshed Mazumder. "But very soon we realized that many artisans were not fully ready for e-commerce. They were talented but lacked basic skills in pricing, product presentation, photography, packaging, or even understanding online orders."
The gap was stark and costly for these artisans. Artisans could create beautiful handwoven textiles, intricate jewelry, and stunning pottery. But ask them to photograph their work professionally, calculate fair pricing, or manage online orders? That's where things fell apart.
Building a marketplace wasn't enough.
The BeshiDeshi team found themselves constantly teaching artisans basic digital commerce skills over the phone, in small in-person sessions, whenever problems arose.
"We found ourselves constantly teaching and guiding artisans on the side, sometimes over the phone, sometimes in small in-person sessions," Zeeshan recalls. "That need pushed us to launch an e-learning initiative so artisans could learn anytime, anywhere, in a format that works for them."
The COVID-19 pandemic turned this informal teaching into an urgent necessity. "We started experimenting with training around 2020–2022, initially with small in-person workshops on mobile photography and basic pricing”, Zeeshan recalls. “In 2021, during the pandemic, we saw how crucial digital skills were becoming. That's when we decided to build a structured e-learning model instead of ad hoc training."
Those early days weren't easy and tested everyone's resolve. Many artisans were nervous about smartphones and hesitant about online training. "The early days were challenging,” explains Zeeshan. “Many artisans were hesitant about online training. Many had low digital literacy and were nervous about smartphones. But once we showed them short video lessons in Bangla, with practical, step-by-step guidance, the acceptance grew rapidly."
What emerged from this trial-and-error period was remarkable. What started as small workshops has now grown into a comprehensive e-learning platform for artisans in Bangla, covering a wide range of topics from product pricing to digital marketing, e-commerce handling, inventory management, mobile photography, packaging, and design thinking.
Today, BeshiDeshi combines multiple learning approaches: "We now combine in-person, group, and one-on-one training with a mobile-first online platform,” explains Zeeshan. “Over time, we've trained over 2,000 artisans face-to-face and several thousand more through video-based content."
The mobile-first approach wasn't a trendy choice, it was a practical necessity. It emerged from understanding where artisans actually lived their digital lives: on their smartphones.
"Over 90% of artisans use smartphones (even if basic)," Zeeshan explains, describing their mobile-first approach. "Mobile is their main connection to the digital economy. Videos and images are easier than text-heavy lessons."
This insight led to a radical departure from traditional vocational training. Instead of classroom lectures, BeshiDeshi created bite-sized video modules in Bangla. Instead of generic business courses, the company taught hyper-specific skills: how to photograph a clay pot using window light, how to calculate the true cost of a handwoven scarf, how to package jewelry so it arrives safely.
Instead of forcing artisans to adapt to traditional e-learning formats, BeshiDeshi built education around how artisans actually lived and worked. Short videos replaced long lectures. Bangla replaced English. Practical skills replaced theoretical concepts.
The platform became unique in several ways: it's "mobile-first and in Bangla (artisans learn on the devices they already use daily)," uses "short, practical, and visual" content "instead of long lectures," is "tailored to artisan needs (instead of generic vocational training)," and remains "accessible anytime, anywhere (artisans can pause, rewatch, or learn after work hours)."
"This flexibility and context-specific design make it more effective than conventional classroom training," Zeeshan notes. But mobile-first also meant addressing Bangladesh's connectivity realities, where broadband penetration remains limited.
For areas with limited internet access, the company developed downloadable content and SMS-based learning options.
For artisans who still preferred face-to-face interaction, the company provides in-person training sessions across Rajshahi, Rangpur, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka, and other regions.
The curriculum of BeshiDeshi’s e-learning platform doesn't look like typical business training. Walk into any BeshiDeshi training session, and you won't find PowerPoint presentations or theoretical frameworks. Instead, you'll see artisans learning to angle their phones to capture the intricate details of their embroidery, or calculating the true cost of materials plus labor to set fair prices.
The platform now offers over 7 core modules covering everything an artisan needs to succeed online:
Every lesson connects directly to making more money. "The training is not theoretical, it's designed around real-life challenges artisans face in selling products," Zeeshan explains. "This combination directly increases artisan sales not only on BeshiDeshi but also on other channels like Facebook, fairs, or even their own shops."
Developing this practical content required serious partnerships. Each module is designed with input from industry experts, successful artisans, and development partners like Oxfam and iDE. More importantly, they're tailored for different artisan segments, what works for a weaver in Rajshahi might not work for a potter in Cox's Bazar.
"Courses are tailored for different artisan segments (weavers, potters, jewelers, hand-painters)," Zeeshan explains. "To ensure accessibility, we use Bangla language, simple visuals, and step-by-step examples. For low-connectivity areas, we provide offline content."
The delivery combines multiple approaches: "video-based lessons in Bangla on mobile," "in-person sessions for groups," and "one-on-one coaching for select artisans via calls or video chat." Artisans engage through "video modules, simple quizzes, occasional live sessions, phone consultations", whatever works best for their situation and learning style.
Perhaps the most fascinating discovery wasn't about technology or curriculum, it was about human psychology. BeshiDeshi's team noticed something unexpected: once artisans mastered mobile photography, they became hungry to learn more. They realized the direct link between learning and income.
This insight transformed BeshiDeshi’s approach. The company stopped leading with abstract business concepts and started with concrete, immediately applicable skills.
However, making it work was not easy.
"Many artisans initially feared digital training," admits Zeeshan. The solution? "Start with simple mobile photography to build confidence."
Photography worked because the results were immediate and visible. The strategy built confidence through visible results. When an artisan could see their product photos improving immediately, when customers started responding to better images, learning stopped feeling academic and started feeling essential.
This approach, beginning with practical, immediately rewarding skills, helped overcome the biggest barrier to adoption: fear.
By showing artisans that they could master new digital skills with tools they already owned, BeshiDeshi built a foundation of confidence that supported more complex learning.
The reach has grown steadily since 2021. Since launching BeshiDeshi structured e-learning approach in 2021, the company has trained over 2,000 artisans face-to-face and several thousand more through its mobile-first platform.
The results speak for themselves.
Artisans applying photography and pricing lessons sell 30-40% more. Many artisans now understand cost structures and no longer underprice their work.
Several artisans report doubling engagement on Facebook after social media training.
Trained artisans are 60% more likely to continue selling online.
These aren't abstract improvements.
For artisans often living on thin margins, a 30% increase in sales can mean the difference between survival and growth, between abandoning their craft and building a sustainable business.
More importantly, BeshiDeshi continues to pay attention to further improvement. "Feedback is gathered through surveys, follow-up calls, and in-person monitoring," ensuring continuous improvement of the programs.
Success has sparked ambitious expansion plans. BeshiDeshi plans to "expand to 5 more modules on advanced design, export readiness, and social media branding" and "launch a dedicated mobile app for artisans with offline access."
Most significantly, the company is building a comprehensive ecosystem: "Partner with banks/NGOs to tie training with financial access so trained artisans can also access financing."
This three-pronged approach, skills training, market access, and financial support, addresses the full spectrum of barriers artisans face in building sustainable businesses.
The platform now supports thousands of artisans across Bangladesh, particularly women and marginalized communities. It preserves traditional crafts by making them economically viable in digital markets, while building the modern business skills artisans need to thrive.
When Mst. Setu now photographs her paintings, she's not just taking pictures. She's applying lessons in lighting and composition that directly translate to sales. Her smartphone has become more than a communication device, it's her classroom, marketing tool, and pathway to economic independence.
Among other things, BeshiDeshi's e-learning initiative proves that effective development solutions don't always require new infrastructure or massive resources. Sometimes they require reimagining existing relationships, between technology and users, between education and commerce, between learning and earning.
