Aarong - Aarong Centre (Head Office) in Tejgaon, Dhaka

In 1978, this ethical company was founded as a simple way to help craftspeople in rural areas escape poverty. Aarong provides decent working conditions for 65,000 craftsmen, and their work is sold in 25 outlets across Bangladesh. This legendary label continually surprises and delights customers at home and abroad by fusing together elements of the past and present in innovative ways, setting a new benchmark for retail excellence in the process.

Back in 1976, when BRAC (then the largest development organization in the world) hired a handful of rural women to make crafts, its sole customers were a few shops in Dhaka. It might take weeks or even months for the rural women to get paid for their wares, but BRAC stepped in and created Aarong to ensure that payment would be made promptly. By working with 650 small businesses and the Ayesha Abed Foundation, Aarong has created a new market niche for handicrafts over the past four decades, revitalizing Bangladesh's cultural heritage and positively affecting the lives of over 325,000 individuals. The foundation serves as Aarong's main production facility, providing its artisans with work and a wide range of welfare programs like medical expense subsidies, access to micro-credit and savings instruments, legal aid, daycare for working mothers, education on rights and eligibility for government benefits, and retirement gratuities.