Masum Billah Majumder, a former resident of Narayanganj, left his job to chase his entrepreneurial dreams. Living in a rented house, he was troubled by relentless mosquito infestations. With a technical background, he began experimenting with building mosquito fogging machines. His initial attempts were unsuccessful, but eventually, he succeeded in creating a working model.
Hailing from Konkapait village in Chauddagram Upazila of Cumilla district, 33-year-old Masum has established his factory named MHI Ultra Power Mini Fogger Machine Factory in his hometown. The factory produces most of the components of the fogging machine except for the gas bottles and chemicals. Each machine is priced at 6,500 BDT, and Masum has already sold around 250 units.
Masum is the second of four brothers and the son of the late Abdul Haq Majumder. He completed his diploma in Power Engineering from Feni Polytechnic Institute and later earned a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) from a private university in Chattogram. He lives with his wife and child.
During a visit to his factory, housed in a tin-shed structure in front of his family home, it was observed that two workers are currently employed there. They produce one fogging machine per day, which is sold both online and directly.
Masum explained that his mini fogging machine can spray mosquito repellent over 120,000 square feet using just two liters of chemical and a 250-gram butane gas bottle. The body of the machine is made of stainless steel using laser cutting technology. However, he has yet to obtain market approval for the device and plans to send it to Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) for testing soon.
Sharing the story behind his innovation, Masum said, “In 2021, I was working at a medical supply company in Narayanganj, earning over 50,000 BDT per month. The house I rented was overrun with mosquitoes. When I asked the landlord to buy a fogging machine, he couldn’t due to the high prices of Chinese-made products. That’s when I decided to try making one myself. It took me about two years of experimenting during my free time, with some early attempts even resulting in fires. Finally, I succeeded.”
Describing the advantages of his machine, Masum said, “My fogging machine can cover larger areas at a lower cost. It’s durable and made of stainless steel, unlike the plastic-bodied Chinese products marketed as Korean and sold for 12,000–15,000 BDT. By comparison, my machines, priced at just 6,500 BDT, should be worth 20,000 BDT.”
Masum, who dreams of becoming a major entrepreneur, said, “I set up this small-scale factory six months ago and started selling machines online experimentally. I quit my job last month to focus fully on this. I plan to build a larger factory to create jobs for unemployed youth in my area and expand the reach of my machines nationwide. I’ll soon submit the machine for testing and necessary approvals at BUET.”
Mir Hossain Miru, the acting chairman of Konkapait Union Parishad, said, “Masum Billah is a pride of our area. He left a well-paying job to follow his dream of becoming a major entrepreneur. His machines are of modern standards, and I believe his invention will spread nationwide. I wish him success.”
Chauddagram Upazila Youth Development Officer Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan added, “We will look into this matter. If Masum seeks our assistance, we will provide him with all possible support. We may also test his machine ourselves. Entrepreneurs like him can significantly reduce unemployment in the area.”
