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RANGPUR, Aug 29, 2025 (BSS) - The success story of Aktari Khanom, a housewife from Jummapara village in Hariarkuthi union of Taraganj upazila of the district, who started a cattle farm with little capital, is quite inspiring.
 
She is the owner of a successful dairy farm. Her farm has various breeds of domestic and foreign cows. She earns a good income from this farm. 
 
At the same time, she is encouraging other housewives and women of the area to do the same for attaining self-reliance and dignity along with empowerment in their respective families and society as well. 
 
This journey of Aktari Khanom is a shining example for female entrepreneurs and empowerment of rural women. 
 
She has proven that with the right plan, hard work and courage, anyone can succeed in any field to change their own fortunes and contribute to nation-building activities.
 
Upon visiting the site, it was found that her cattle farm is adjacent to her house in Jummapara village, just half a kilometer southwest of Dangirhat Bazar in Hariarkuthi union.
 
Talking to BSS, Aktari Khanom narrated her success story.
 
Aktari Khanom, 45, is the wife of former college teacher Asaduzzaman Asad, 55, of Jummapara village. 
 
The couple has three daughters Rabeya Bashari Tamanna, 24, Fatima Akhtari Tinni, 22, and Labiba Tabassum, 9.
 
Aktari Khanom first started the farm by buying a cow with a calf with her own savings of Taka 84,000 ten years back in 2015.
 
Currently, there are a good number of Fijian cows, bulls, heifers, calves and two pregnant cows on her farm. 
 
To look after them, her farm has employed three unemployed youths. They are employed for various tasks, keeping the farm clean, feeding the cows on time, and taking care of the cows. Four straw cutting machines have been kept for use in preparing cow feed. 
 
A signboard with the name of the farm 'RFT Dairy Farm' is hung above the main gate of the farm. 
 
Earlier, Aktari Khanom's husband Asaduzzaman Asad lived in Gazipur for work. She was spending time alone in her village home without her husband. 
 
"I bought a Fijian breed cow with a calf in mid-2015. The cow gave 12 to 15 liters of milk every day. In addition to spending a good time looking after the cow, I started earning extra income. This encouraged me to buy a few more cows," she said.
 
After a few days, she begged her husband to buy two more Fijian breed 'Bakna' calves. Later, these two calves also grew up and gave birth to new calves. In this way, the number of cows on her farm started increasing one by one. 
 
Currently, there are 25 cows on her farm, both small and large. 
 
In the meantime, when she needed some money, she sold some of the cows on the farm and got Taka 42 lakh. Biogas is used for cooking at her home which is produced from the dung of her farm. 
 
Aktari Khanom said that the Fijian cows on her farm give 12 to 15 liters of milk per day and the Indian Mundi cows give up to 40 liters of milk each. 
 
Her farm usually produces about 250 liters of milk per day. However, when some cows become pregnant, the amount of milk produced on the farm decreases, but the minimum milk production is up to 100 liters. 
 
"We named my farm 'RFT Dairy Farm' by combining the first letters of our three daughters, Rabeya, Fatima and Tabassum," he said with a happy smile.
 
She said, "Two years ago, before she took her master's exam from madrasa, we married off our eldest daughter Rabeya with much fanfare."
 
"My second daughter Fatima will soon take her masters exam from a madrasa and the youngest daughter Tabassum is a third-grade student at a local primary school," she said.
 
Taraganj Upazila Livestock Officer Agriculturist Dr KM Iftekharul Islam said the story of Aktari Khanom, a female entrepreneur from Rangpur district, becoming self-reliant by starting a cattle farm is quite inspiring. 
 
"She has established a cattle farm with her own efforts. Her initiative is encouraging other local women. Aktari Khanom's story of establishing and successfully running a cattle farm is truly commendable," he said.