Aarong lifestyle and craft products

Aarong is Bangladesh's premier fair-trade fashion and lifestyle brand, established in 1978 as a social enterprise. The brand was created by BRAC (Building Resources Across Communities), the world's largest non-governmental development organization, to provide a sustainable livelihood for rural artisans. Originally conceived by Ayesha Abed and Martha Chen, Aarong serves as a critical link between marginalized rural craftspeople and urban markets.

The brand's production is deeply rooted in the Ayesha Abed Foundation, which operates a vast network of production centers and sub-centers across Bangladesh. This infrastructure supports over 87,000 artisans—the majority of whom are women—who produce traditional handcrafted items such as Nakshi Kantha (embroidered quilts), Jamdani sarees, leather goods, and jewelry. Today, Aarong has expanded into a diverse range of sub-brands, including Aarong Dairy, Aarong Earth (personal care), and Taaga, while remaining a wholly owned subsidiary of the BRAC non-profit organization.