From rags to riches
To visit his orchard of 700 malta saplings and 800 jujube trees is to understand that Moslem Uddin, 38, from Kirtankhola Kamarpara village in Tangail's Sakhipur upazila plans a bright future. But more remarkable than where his life is headed is where it's been. From grave poverty Moslem has built success, step by arduous step.
The son of day labourer Join Uddin, a father often unable to meet his five-member family's expenses, a young Moslem could only watch as neighbouring children attended school. In his family, meals were uncertain.
At age 10 he started working in neighbouring households. Duties included housekeeping, cattle-rearing and farm work. Three meals a day was his reward.
Moslem couldn't accept this fate. “From boyhood I thought to do something for my family. Unafraid to face any difficulty, I couldn't tolerate helplessness.” Aged 16, Moslem took a Tk 500 loan from a local youth association.
With the money he bought jujubes and asked his mother to pickle them. Moslem, for the first time an entrepreneur, visited schools to sell pickles and snacks. He started selling snacks to bus passengers, riding around on bus roofs.
In 1997 he married and business continued with wife Nasima as chief pickle-maker. In 2002 he relocated, renting a home beside the Dhaka-Tangail highway where passing trade was more.
From a local hawker Moslem heard that trading old books and scrap paper was more profitable than pickles. He purchased used books from schoolchildren, went door to door and travelled to Nimtoly in Dhaka to sell them. Profits were invested in cheaper jujube for pickling, bought from nearby Shambazar.
By 2005 Moslem could rent a shop. As a shopkeeper profits were better still, but Moslem didn't stop dreaming. He hoped for an agricultural venture, since he's always been fond of farming. Then one day Nasima mentioned that lemons from the six trees in their yard were fetching Tk 2,500 per year after the demands of family and neighbours were met. Moslem decided to grow lemons, but lacked farmland.
“A good business idea needs to have good prospects,” Moslem says, “but what is possible in current circumstances must also be considered. Lemons seemed both profitable and possible.” In 2013 he returned to the families where he'd worked through childhood, proposing to lease their land.
Moslem secured 6.5 acres on lease for 10 years at a rent of Tk 1.6 lakh per year. He employed labourers to plant 5,500 lemon saplings and sowed papaya between them. With advice from the upazila agriculture officer he learnt how best to fertilise the orchard and invested in modern irrigation. In total, Moslem spent Tk 7 lakh.
After seven months the first papayas sold for Tk 3.75 lakh. Over the next two and a half years, Tk 12 lakh sales came from lemons. In the meantime, Moslem employed skilled labourers to graft lemon saplings, which over three years raised an additional Tk 7 lakhs. Finally, he was confident to leave pickles and scrap paper behind.
Nowadays along with fruit trees planted on an additional 4.5 acres leased in Bhabnagar, Moslem grows black gram, locally called mashkalai dal, with one acre devoted to ginger. The first jujube harvest is due in December. The maltas will bear fruit after two years.
Moslem employs nine labourers at a salary of Tk 10,000 per month each. He's bought his own land to build a home. His two sons study in class 12 and class 2. “Moslem isn't only solvent,” says Bhabnagar teacher Habibur Rahman, “he's popular. He inspires many farmers and unemployed youths.”
According to Moslem, the key to a better life is not to give in to frustration and sit idle. “If an idea is big or small doesn't matter,” he says, “Start with what you have, create something, work sincerely and be positive. Consider how to support others. Better days must come.”
Sakhipur upazila agriculture officer, Faizur Rahman Bhuiyan, says though there are many farmers in the area, Moslem is unique. “His innovation makes him an example,” he says. “I'm hopeful we can allocate him some vacant public land to further his dreams and encourage others.”
And dream he does! Moslem wants to cultivate near-extinct fruits. He's interested in timber. “There are thousands of acres of government land in the upazila,” Moslem says. “If farmers could use some on condition of returning profit, so much more could be produced.” With goodwill, self-confidence, hard work and perseverance, Moslem believes, anything can be achieved.
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