Keshob was the first man in Mirjagonj village in Mirjagonj upazila to cultivate papaya. Following his example, Shahid, Arif, Kamal and Mannan of the village are now free from the curse of unemployment. They have also started commercial cultivation of vegetable. Mirjagonj village is about 10 kilometres from the district headquarter.

After completing HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate examination) in 1980, Keshob looked for job but was disappointed. He then started banana cultivation on half an acre of land. But the result was not up to the expectation.

He then started vegetable cultivation and earned about Tk 50,000 from the small land.

One day, in 2001, Keshob read a feature on papaya cultivation in a newspaper and visited the papaw garden of Shirajul Islam at Kuarchar village in Kaliakair upazila in Gazipur district. He learnt the method and collected saplings.

He planted those on one acre of land. After one year, he leased some lands and expanded the garden to three acres.

There are 4000 papaya plants in his garden and each plant earns him Tk 200 to 250 a year, Keshob to this correspondent during a visit to his garden recently.

He sells the papaya to wholesalers at Tk 4 t0 5 per kilogram. After meeting all expenditures, his net profit is about Tk two lakh a year, her said.

Five labourers work in his garden round the year. He pays them Tk 2000 per month.

Keshob sues pesticide in his farm, but says it is harmful. He is thinking how to avoid this.

Local people said, seeing Keshob's success, many people in the village now think of commercial cultivation of vegetables.