Khondkar Abdur Razzak alias Raja started the business with a capital of only 2 thousand 250 rupees. In 1956, Bogra started the cloth business in a small wooden shop in Newmarket. He used to bring shirt, pant, panjabi, suit clothes from capital Islampur and sell them at retail by crossing Yamuna via Bahadurabad Ghat by train. He named the shop ‘Raja Cloth Store’. The company responded shortly. Started wholesale business along with retail. In a short time the reputation spread in the surrounding district.

In 1965, the number of shops of Raja Cloth Store in Bogra Newmarket increased to 7. The scope of the business continues to grow. Apart from chit cloth, he also started the business of women’s clothes, curtain cloth, Punjabi and other clothes. In 1971, when Bogra Newmarket was burnt during the Liberation War, all the shops of Abdul Razzak were also burnt. After the war, he started the war again empty-handed. When Bogra BSIC started in 1972, Sarshe built an oil factory there. The journey of Raja Oil Mill started with 12 ghanis.

In the beginning, Sarsha oil business was going well. Later, when this business failed, the factory was rented out to reduce the shock of losses. Khondkar Abdur Razzak died in 1996. His eldest son Khondkar Mezbahul Haque took over the business. After going through many ups and downs, he transformed the loss-making Raja Group into a profitable company. The number of industrial establishments in the Raja group is now 6 by the hands of Mizbahul. Apart from textile shops, the company is now involved in mustard oil, CNG filling stations, paper mills, brick kilns and contracting businesses. 10 bighas of land has been purchased along the Bogra-Naogaon highway for setting up new industrial units. Raja Group’s business capital is now over Tk 200 crores. 1 thousand 100 people have been employed in the company.

Mezbahul Haque also said that another new unit will be started soon in this factory. It will be the country’s first state-of-the-art paper mill. Where the investment will be hundreds of crores of rupees.

Mezbahul Haque’s wife Afra Anika is currently the chairman of Raja Group. Recently, Afra Anika told Prothom Alo, ‘Apart from studies, I am taking care of my husband’s business. Occasionally visit various industrial units. Talk to the workers. Inspect the production process. It is very nice to see worker friendly environment in every factory. All our companies are now profitable.