Photo : BSS

By Rostom Ali Mandal

DINAJPUR, June 12, 2025 (BSS) - Young agriculture entrepreneur Taibur Rahman Laju, 38, of Phulbari upazila of the district became self-reliant by cultivating various crops, companion crops and fruits and as now on he earns about Tk eight to 10 lakhs annually from his agricultural lands. 

Talking to BSS, Laju, a graduate son of retired army personnel Md. Akbar Ali of Daulatpur village of Phulbari upazila of Dinajpur, said he grew up in a rural environment since childhood so that he has a long relationship with the soil and agriculture of his village. 

“Instead of running after a job, I have achieved success as an agriculture entrepreneur by cultivating vegetables and other crops,” said Laju. 

Now many educated unemployed youth from the surrounding villages come to him for taking advice how to successfully get involved in agricultural work. 

Laju has been helping the youths to move forward by giving them the right advice to get involved in agriculture.

 After his father's retirement, young Laju took over charge of running his family. Along with business, he started farming on his ancestral land. Laju, a father of one son and one daughter, studied up to HSC before being an entrepreneur. 

He started studying again and completed his graduation last year. He earns about Taka eight to 10 lakhs annually by producing various crops.

Laju said he had been studying and learning the techniques of cultivating crops during the last three years. After learning about the cultivation of “ Kachur Lati” from YouTube, he started cultivating “Kachur Lati” experimentally on 30 percent of his land. It cost Taka 45,000.

He has already sold the ‘Lati’ for about Taka 30,000 to 35,000 as he expects to earn another Taka 2-2.5 lakhs from the remaining crop. There is also a possibility of selling “Kochu” and seedlings after the harvest.

Along with ‘Kachur Lati’, he has also made a orchard of 230 trees of Gaurmati mango and 600 guava trees on 77 percent of his land. 

He planted 360 Bari-4 mango trees on another 75 percent of his land. He is cultivating Ginger in 1,200 sacks in that mango garden. 

This season, he has sold mangoes worth Taka 1.5 lakh. He planted local fruit Sharifa and papaya on 20 percent of his land, where there are 46 Sharifa and 161 papaya trees. He sold papaya of Taka 80,000 so far. 

He also planted 200 plum trees, developed a banana garden, a cattle farm, and a house to make vermicompost using cow dung produced there. He installed CCTV cameras to keep an eye on the garden.

Laju's wife Touhida Begum and son Toufiq Elahi help him in his agricultural work. He also receives regular advice and support from the Upazila Agriculture Office. He is planning to cultivate “Kachur Lati” on another acre of land in future.

Union Parishad (UP) Chairman of his union, Md. Badrul Amin, said women in the area are being inspired to get involved in these activities after seeing the success of agricultural entrepreneur Laju in various fields including agriculture. 

He expressed that many educated unemployed youth in the area are becoming interested in the work that young people are doing.

UP member Nurbanu has established a Malta, Mango, Ginger and Nutri garden on 30 percent of his land. He has also taken training from the Phulbari Upazila Agriculture Office.

Farmer Abul Kalam and many others are now focusing on agriculture on Laju's advice. They say that they have succeeded in agricultural work on Laju's advice.

In addition, entrepreneur Laju runs a Facebook group with young farmers, where various information on agriculture are being exchanged. In addition, he also gets success as a digital content creator. He also earns money from it by regularly uploading videos on his Facebook profile.

Fulbari Upazila Agriculture Officer of the district, agriculturist Md. Shahanur Rahman said, "Taibur Rahman Laju is a unique example in the area as an agricultural entrepreneur. Inspired by his success, many are becoming interested in agriculture. We are providing him technical assistance in modern fruit gardens and companion crop cultivation. He claims that this is a profitable and sustainable method.”

Dinajpur District Youth Development Department Deputy Director Rawnak Ahmed said, "Recently, I have learned that this young agriculture entrepreneur Laju achieved great success in cultivating various agricultural crops and cultivating ginger in sacks as a companion crop in mango orchards. 

His papaya orchard and other fruit orchards have been successfully developed. In addition, he is being advised and supported by the Youth Development Department in cow husbandry and organic fertilizer production,” he said.