What was changed
Khan launched AroundMeBD in 2016, initially filming Dhaka street life before shifting to cooking videos from his native village of Shimulia. Villagers prepare enormous dishes—hundreds of ducks, multi‑hundred‑pound cakes, and whole water buffaloes—filmed in open fields and shared on YouTube.
The channel’s popularity attracted viewers across India, Bangladesh and the United States. Revenue from ads and views enabled the team to hire about 50 locals, build community amenities such as a straw elephant, giraffe replica, and a children’s water slide, and cover medical expenses for elders. Despite sponsorship offers, the founders declined to keep the content authentic and community‑focused.
What it achieved
The channel gained 4 million subscribers and 1.3 billion views, created 50 jobs, funded a giraffe replica and water slide, and earned multi‑million revenue.
Why it worked
Khan wanted to share his village’s food culture with a global audience after being inspired by international cooking videos.
The visual spectacle of giant communal meals proved highly shareable, driving rapid subscriber growth.
Monetizing the channel allowed the creators to reinvest earnings directly into the village, improving livelihoods and infrastructure.
What can be applied
Authentic, locally‑rooted content can scale globally on platforms like YouTube, delivering both cultural preservation and tangible economic benefits to rural communities.
Aftermath
AroundMeBD continues to upload about eight videos a month, employing roughly 50 workers, many of whom appear in the videos. The channel has refused sponsorship deals to preserve its authentic style, relying instead on ad revenue and viewer support. Villagers report improved access to medicine, food, and community projects, while the founders explore diversifying into other media formats to safeguard the channel’s long‑term viability.
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