Shekh Kamrul Hasan

I was born into challenging circumstances. My father, an entrepreneur, passed away two months before I was born. I grew up with my mother and three elder brothers, facing many struggles along the way. When my father passed, my eldest brother was in Class 4, and by the time I was six, our family had separated from the joint household. My eldest brother, then in Class 10, had to drop out of school and started a grocery business to support the family. I worked with him as part of the family business, but the venture failed. He then started a local food store, and due to our family’s condition, I had to drop out of school to help.

After a year, I went back to school. However, throughout my junior school years, my brother tried many businesses but faced repeated failures. After finishing my Junior School Certificate, I enrolled in a 2-year SSC vocational course in General Electronics, which laid the foundation for my interest in technology and engineering.

After completing my SSC, I began my 4-year Diploma in Marine Engineering at Shyamoli Ideal Polytechnic Institute, Chattogram. During this time, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, closing institutes and shifting education online. To support myself and my studies, I worked as a Retail Sales Officer for Banglalink. Once institutes reopened, I left the job to focus on my diploma.

After finishing my diploma, I was eager to work on my startup idea, and I applied for the Smart Bangladesh Accelerating Program (SBA). Around the same time, I enrolled in the BSc in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering program at Sonargaon University. One day, I received a call from the Chief Instructor of Marine Technology at Shyamoli, offering me a position as a Junior Instructor. I joined and continued pursuing my passion for education and innovation.

At this stage, my startup idea was selected for the SBA program, and I’m now working towards transforming river transport in Bangladesh through ENAOO, combining my experience, skills, and determination to make a meaningful impact.