Photo: BSS

By Mofazzel Hossain 

BARISHAL, July 26, 2026 (BSS) – Abu Bakar Siddiqui Suman, a farmer from Bailakhali village in Chandpasha union under Babuganj upazila of Barishal, has turned a struggle for survival into an inspiring success story through determination and perseverance.

Through commercial papaya cultivation, Suman has not only become financially self-reliant but has also created employment opportunities for local youths and trained thousands of aspiring agricultural entrepreneurs across Bangladesh.

Forced by financial hardship to leave school in the ninth grade, Suman initially worked for the Bangladesh Railway before seeking better opportunities abroad. He traveled to Beirut, Lebanon, but escalating conflict forced him to return home after 17 months, passing through Syria and Palestine. Back in Bangladesh, he earned a living as a painter and day laborer in Dhaka.

His turning point came in 2021 when he sought a loan to start fish farming. Instead, then Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer Saiduzzaman advised him to combine fish farming with papaya cultivation. With financial assistance of Taka 50,000 from a government project, Suman launched his farming venture.

Although he faced setbacks in the beginning, Suman brought  imported  papaya seeds from Gazipur and started producing seedlings himself. Applying agricultural techniques he had learned while working in South Africa, he established a modern papaya orchard on previously unused land.

Today, his farm spans 1.48 acres, with approximately 1,250 mature papaya trees planted alongside the embankments of three fish ponds. He cultivates premium varieties including Shahi, Kashmiri and Top Lady. Each tree produces an average of four to five maunds of fruit, while some papayas grown on his farm weigh as much as five kilograms.

According to the Barishal Department of Agricultural Extension, Suman has sold nearly Taka 60 lakh worth of papayas and Taka 1.60 crore worth of papaya seedlings over the past five years, earning an estimated profit of Taka 60 lakh. 

During the last growing season alone, he sold around Taka 15 lakh worth of papayas and expects sales of Taka 20–25 lakh this season. Since the beginning of the current year, he has also earned approximately Taka 7 lakh in profit from seedling sales.

His nursery business has experienced remarkable growth. Starting with just 6,000 seedlings sold in 2023, sales increased to 35,000 in 2024 and approximately 14 lakh seedlings in 2025. Despite various challenges, he produced and sold 600,000 seedlings in 2026. 

Looking ahead, Suman has built a modern polyhouse with the goal of selling 20 lakh seedlings nationwide next year. He says each seedling generates an average profit of around Taka 5 after production costs.

In addition to papayas, Suman grows pumpkins, bottle gourds, snake gourds, sponge gourds, bitter gourds, yardlong beans, and other vegetables along the embankments of his fish ponds using trellis cultivation, generating several hundred thousand taka in additional annual income.

Believing agriculture can play a key role in addressing unemployment, Suman encourages young people to consider farming as a viable profession.

"Agriculture can be one of the most effective ways to reduce unemployment," he said. "A student can earn nearly Tk 100,000 in a single season by planting just 25 improved papaya trees with proper care. Instead of waiting for jobs, young people should make productive use of their unused land."

Suman also operates a free training center where he provides hands-on instruction in commercial papaya cultivation. More than 2,000 agricultural entrepreneurs—including students, unemployed youth, and retirees from across the country—have already received training and gone on to establish successful farming businesses.

His contributions to high-yield farming on limited land have earned him seven national and international awards, including agricultural recognition from Nepal, an award from the University of Dhaka, and honors associated with Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa in India.

Local residents say Suman's achievements have inspired many others to enter commercial farming.

"Suman Bhai has become a role model," said local youth Shafiqul Islam. "People from different parts of the country come to receive training from him, and many have become successful papaya farmers using his seedlings."

Babuganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdur Rauf praised Suman's efforts, describing him as a hardworking and innovative agricultural entrepreneur.

"We have visited his farm several times," Rauf said. "His production of high-quality papaya seedlings is benefiting farmers across the region. His initiative is exemplary, and the Department of Agricultural Extension will continue providing all necessary support to encourage more farmers to adopt commercial papaya cultivation."

Suman's journey from hardship to agricultural success stands as a powerful example of how innovation, determination, and modern farming practices can transform lives while generating employment and promoting rural economic development.