Habibar Rahman successfully changed his fortune and shown others the path to self-reliance through the nursery industry. Photo Collage: BSS

By Md Mamun Islam

RANGPUR, Feb 18, 2025 (BSS) - Struggling with extreme poverty since childhood, 36-year-old entrepreneur Md Habibar Rahman has transformed his village, Paschim Kursha Shikarpara, into a nursery village, with a nursery garden in every yard.

Starting his nursery business 20 years ago, Habibar Rahman has successfully changed his fortune and shown others the path to self-reliance through the nursery industry.

This village, located in Kursha Union under Taraganj Upazila, is now widely known as 'Nursery Village' or 'Seedling Village,' from which thousands of seedlings are supplied to different parts of the country.

"Anyone visiting the village will be amazed, as all the rural roads are lined with native and foreign flowers, fruit trees, timber, and medicinal plants."

With the expansion of the highly profitable nursery business, employment opportunities have been created for unemployed young men and women in the locality.

Paschim Kursha Shikarpara village is just three km from the Taraganj Upazila headquarters.

Around 130 families live in the village, of which 105 are involved in the nursery business. Most family members spend their days taking care of the saplings grown in their nurseries.
Saplings of various local and foreign flowers and fruits are produced in the village on over 65 acres of land throughout the year.

Talking to BSS recently, Habibar Rahman said that his father, Alep Uddin, died when he was just nine years old.

He said, "I spent my days in miserable conditions with my mother, Morjina Begum; elder brother, Mujibur Rahman; younger brother, Moshiar Rahman; and only sister, Sonabi Begum."

His mother, Morjina, then worked in the houses of others to maintain the livelihood of her children.

"During this time, I came to Taraganj Bazar one day and got in a hotel for Taka 20, which included two meals a day," Habibar said.

However, he could not continue his job at the hotel for long, as the owner often scolded him.

One day, Habibar took a bus from Taraganj Bazar to the historic Mahasthangarh area of Bogura district in search of work.
He initially started picking potatoes in the fields with other daily wage workers.

Later, he met the owner of a nursery in the area. After working in that nursery for about six months, he managed to save some money and then returned home.

However, he returned to Bogura due to poverty and started working in that nursery for three months.

While working there, Habibar met the owner of a nursery in Cumilla and went to Cumilla with him.

After working in that nursery in Cumilla for a year, Habibar returned home with some money and started his first nursery business in his backyard 20 years ago.

Since he did not have any land of his own at the time, he took lease of 30 decimals of land and began planting saplings there.

"And that's how my nursery business and sapling production began. Since then, I have not looked back. I am now working with a target of producing 45,000 seedlings on 60 decimals of land this season," Habibar said.

"Currently, I earn Taka two lakh annually, excluding fertilizer, seeds, irrigation, maintenance, and transportation costs," he said, adding that the income is gradually increasing.

Among fruits, saplings of jackfruit, 'ajjwa,' olive, guava, 'chalta,' litchi, orange, apple, plum, berry, coconut, 'jamrul,' 'golapjam,' mango, 'amra,' and other fruits are produced in his nursery.
Among forest plants, saplings of mahogany, teak, 'shilkarai,' raintree, 'shishu,' 'rajkarai,' and 'kadam' are being produced.
Saplings of medicinal plants such as 'Neem,' 'Horitaki,' 'Amalki,' 'Arjun,' 'Shimul,' 'Shatamul,' 'Aloe Vera,' 'Shankhamul,' 'Basak,' 'Tulsi,' 'Pudina,' and other varieties are also being produced.

"I am producing saplings of 150 species of local and foreign varieties of fruit, timber, medicinal, and flower plants," said Habibar, adding that four to five workers work in his nursery and earn Taka 400 to Taka 500 per day.

Following Habibar Rahman's footsteps, over 100 families are now involved in the nursery profession and have achieved success in the village.
Habibar's nephew, Md. Ripon Mia, 27, of the village, started the nursery business 15 years ago with the help of his father, Md. Golap, 45, and brother, Md. Sujan, 30.

"After passing the SSC exam in 2016, I took up the nursery business as a profession. Our nursery, which covers 120 decimals of land, now has 70,000 saplings of 150 varieties of local and foreign fruits, timber, flowers, and medicinal plants," Ripon said.

Ripon has a target of producing and selling 120,000 saplings from his nursery this season.

"We are earning a net profit of Taka four to six lakh per year after deducting all the expenses of running the nursery business. However, if we can sell 120,000 saplings this season, we expect to earn Taka eight lakh," he said.

Similarly, Badsha Alam, Afzal Hossain, Mahabul Islam, Dulal Rahman, Jobed Ali, Moshiar Rahman, Elahi Master, Azizar Rahman, Asadul Islam, Qutub Uddin, and many others in the village have changed their fortunes through the nursery business.

Talking to BSS, Taraganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Dhiba Rani Roy said that Paschim Kursha Shikarpara village is covered in greenery, with saplings growing in nurseries all around, improving the fortunes of the families living there.