The 160-Taka Dream is a moving story of poverty, perseverance, education, entrepreneurship, and humanity. Set in Panchkandi, Narsingdi, it follows Abdul Kadir Molla, a boy born into a family where food, medicine, and education are constant struggles. His father is a day laborer.
Kadir's childhood comes to an abrupt end when famine strikes in 1974 and his father dies, leaving him responsible for his mother and siblings. He leaves school and works in fields, brick kilns, and construction sites. When his younger sister dies of pneumonia because the family cannot afford medical treatment, his grief becomes a lifelong vow to fight poverty.
A compassionate headmaster helps Kadir return to education through tutoring. He passes his SSC examination in 1977, but in 1978, he loses an academic year because he cannot afford the HSC examination fee, falling short by just 160 taka. Refusing to surrender, he travels to Dhaka, earns a Diploma in Marine Engineering, and later works in Singapore, where he gains expertise, discipline, savings, and a broader vision.
Back in Bangladesh, Kadir joins Titas Gas, but a secure career cannot contain his ambition.He resigns and, in 1996, establishes Thermex Group. Through courage, technical knowledge, disciplined management, and an uncompromising commitment to quality, he builds a major textile enterprise, creating employment opportunities and transforming rural lives.
Yet wealth is never his ultimate goal. Remembering his father, his sister, and the 160 taka that once stood between him and his education, Kadir dedicates his success to society. Through the Majid Molla Foundation, he supports education, scholarships, orphanages, healthcare, and community development.
From a barefoot laborer to an industrialist, banker, educator, and philanthropist, Kadir's journey proves that hardship can become a source of strength through integrity, courage, gratitude, and compassion. The 160 taka he once lacked becomes a symbol of a promise fulfilled: to transform suffering into opportunity for thousands and use success to lift others. His story inspires generations to rise, persevere, and believe that no hardship has the final word.
