Pic: Bss

RANGPUR, Dec 6, 2025 (BSS) - Pumpkin cultivation has become a real ray of hope for people living in the char and riverbank areas of Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Dudhkumar, Teesta, Dharla, Kartoa, Ghaghot and other rivers of the Rangpur agricultural region.

After getting bumper output with lucrative prices in recent years, hundreds of char and riverside people are expanding pumpkin cultivation on char land and dried-up riverbeds to change fortunes in the Brahmaputra basin of the region. 

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said char people and farmers are farming pumpkins with other winter crops adopting mixed-relay and intercropping methods to reap more profits.

"Char residents, farmers and riverside people are continuing to sow seeds of pumpkin and other Rabi crops on char lands and dried-up riverbeds," Additional Director (Incharge) of the DAE for Rangpur region Krishibid Md Shirajul Islam said.
 
The DAE, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and different NGOs are extending assistance to char people to promote crop cultivation on sandy char lands and dried-up riverbeds this time like in the previous years.

Inspired by officials and experts from the DAE and other agriculture-related organizations and NGO workers to increase food production amid the adverse effects of climate change, people are bringing more char land under crop cultivation.

Amidst the favorable climate, tender plants of early varieties of pumpkin are growing exceptionally well in the char lands, predicting a bumper production this season, which will bring more profits to the char people and make them self-reliant.

"Harvesting of early varieties of pumpkin will begin in the pastures and dry riverbeds from the third week of this month, while sowing of winter crops including vegetables is still ongoing in all five districts of the region," Islam added. 

According to riverbank and char people, the DAE, RDRS Bangladesh, Plan Action Bangladesh and many other NGOs have popularised pumpkin cultivation in dried-up riverbeds and char lands over the past decade to change their fate.
Talking to BSS, Nur Islam, Anwar Hossain, Kobiza Khatun, Abdur Razzaque and Mahbub Alam of Char Paschim Mohipur village in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur narrated their success stories of attaining self-reliance through farming pumpkins.

They are expanding cultivation of pumpkin adopting mixed relay and intercropping methods with onion, garlic, banana, vegetables, green chili, squash, potato, brinjal, sweet potato and other Rabi crops on the sandy char lands and dried-up riverbeds this season.
 
Couple Shahinur Islam and Fancy Begum of Char Purbo Mohipur of Gangachara upazila said they have cultivated various crops like pumpkin, 'Khira', green chilli, maize and other crops on two acres of the dried-up beds of the Teesta this time.

"We earn a very good profit from pumpkin farming every year and are expecting to start harvesting the same from the third week of this month to earn well again," Shahinur told BSS.
 
Aminul Islam and Ummey Kulsum, a couple from Char Taluk Shahbaz village in Kawnia upazila of Rangpur, said that they are expecting a bumper harvest this time while tending to tender pumpkin plants in the char area.

"We have cultivated pumpkin, groundnut, onion, garlic and vegetables on two acres of sandy char lands on dried-up beds of the Teesta," said Ummey Kulsum said, adding that they will start harvesting pumpkin from this month-end to reap rewarding profit.