Kutub Ahmed/Nadia

Jahangir Mallik is an entrepreneur with a heart and vision. Though he began as a small-time sari seller and gradually started manufacturing Bengal’s famous tant silk saris, he also created a business model that supports the economy of Shantinagar in the Nadia district of West Bengal.

In this small town, Hindus and Muslims have lived as neighbours for generations, weaving together a fabric of harmony as fine and enduring as the famous Shantipuri sarees

The Shantipuri tant saree has always been a symbol of Bengal’s cultural pride. For centuries, its intricate threads have tied together the lives of countless weavers.

The town’s bustling Bangar Haat and Ghosh Market remain the centre of this heritage. Among them, one name today dominates conversation: J.M. Bazar, a thriving saree destination that draws visitors from far beyond Bengal.

Jahangir Mallik, a man in his mid-forties, whose generosity and vision have not only transformed his life but also that of thousands of workers around him.

To customers, Jahangir appears as a warm and polite shopkeeper whose smile makes transactions effortless, but behind the counters overflowing with silks and handlooms lies a larger truth -- Jahangir has become a lifeline for an entire ecosystem of workers.

On any market day, around a thousand e-rickshaw drivers earn their daily bread by ferrying customers from the Shantipur railway station to the Ghosh Market.

What is remarkable is that Jahangir pays for these rides, ensuring that visitors travel free while drivers are guaranteed a steady income.

In a small-town economy where sources of earning are just a few, such an initiative speaks of both vision and compassion.

When Jahangir was in his twenties, he opened a modest saree stall inside Ghosh Market.

Born in the Bulbulitala village of the Burdwan district, he had completed his schooling at the Simlon High School and pursued commerce at Hatgobindapur College.

With a natural interest in textiles, he enrolled in a short government-run course in Ranaghat, which opened his eyes to the immense possibilities in Bengal’s saree trade. Drawn by Shantipur’s centuries-old handloom heritage, he chose the town as the centre of his journey.

The beginning was humble, but Jahangir’s hard work and clarity of purpose soon began to show results. By 2019, he had founded J.M. Bazar, which expanded into two sprawling counters on the second floor of Ghosh Market.

Today, he has built not just a successful business but a brand that blends tradition with modern enterprise.

Yet, Jahangir Mallik remains firmly grounded, not forgetting his humble past. Prosperity did not make him inward-looking; it made him more determined to uplift others.

His store today is a textile treasure trove, with silk sarees as its crown jewel.

By maintaining his own production units, both locally and outside Bengal, his Sarees are fairly affordable while maintaining quality. The decision to maintain a balance between affordability and quality has given him a reputation that remains unmatched by his rivals.

Jahangir’s contribution goes far beyond silk saris. At a time when Shantipur’s handloom cotton sari was on the verge of extinction, he revived the demand by supporting weavers and ensuring steady production.

Thousands of families that once faced despair have rediscovered livelihoods, and with them, dignity. For Jahangir, this is not mere commerce but a mission. As he often says, “Bengali culture is incomplete without the tant saree, whether during Durga Puja, Eid, or any celebration.”

The circle of his generosity goes beyond transactions. Each year, he hosts a grand community feast for the entire Ghosh Market family, employees, helpers, and rickshaw drivers -- Hindus and Muslims.

The feast is a reaffirmation of the spirit of Shantipur, a town that thrives on unity. Within his own business, too, inclusivity is natural. His team of about 25 workers has Hindus and Muslims working together.

Jahangir’s younger brother runs a large textile processing factory in Bulbulitala, producing cotton fabrics such as T-shirts and leggings, further strengthening the family’s link to Bengal’s textile economy.

Together, the brothers represent a new generation of entrepreneurs from Bengal’s Muslim community, who combine ambition with social responsibility.

At the heart of Jahangir Mallik’s story is not only success but the rare ability to dream beyond himself. He envisions Shantipur’s handloom sarees reaching every corner of the globe, carrying with them both the pride of Bengal and the livelihoods of its weavers.

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In his quiet, modest way, he has shown that greatness is not measured by the wealth one accumulates but by the lives one uplifts along the way.