Happy Roy From Netrakona

Mamun Mia is a framer of village Chakpara under Laxmigonj union. Round the year Mamun and his brother are busy with agriculture. They have managed their livelihood quite comfortably with rice production of 2 seasons. They have 40 katha agriculture land, doing fisheries in 12 katha.  The area of their dwelling house including courtyard is 5 katha and have a pond of 2.5 Katha. Mamun’s father died in his tender age.  He studied up to higher secondary certificate (HSC) . Mamun and his brother inherited land and involved themselves in agriculture.  Apart from this he is an active member of Bandhu Mahal a local club of the youth and takes part in different social work. With the assistance of the local youth, he is able to stop bird hunting in the area. He is an admirer of sports and plays football and cricket in his leisure.

Mamun has interest and good knowledge in agriculture. He cultivated vegetables in low land and high land, considering which one is good for which land. In winter he cultivated potato, data, tomato, chili, bottle gourd in low land. On the other hand, he cultivated bean, pumpkin, cucumber, okra, snake gourd (chichinga) etc. in high land during the rainy season. He grows cucurbitaceous plant (Jhinga), Indian spinach, okra, bean, bottle gourd, pumpkin at his courtyard for their consumption. This year he sold cucumber, okra, Indian spinach, jhinga worth TK 11 thousand. He earns about TK 40 thousand from vegetables in a year. He also shares vegetables with neighbors. His family also collected uncultivated plants as vegetable from the agriculture land, ail, bank of pond. Such as water spinach (kolmi shak), Thankuni, Boutta, Khuira, Sonaban Helencha. There is bamboo plant behind the house. He provided bamboo to the neighbors as per their requirement, free of cost.

There are many fish in Mamun’s pond, he also collected huge fish from local beel (water body) during rainy season and winter. They dried fish for preservation. He has a good collection of different poultry birds. There are 7 Achil chicken, 10 local chicken, 11 Chinese ducks, 13 local ducks and 8 cows; Therefore, there is no need to go to the market for eggs and milk. Every year he earns more and less Tk 100 thousand from selling cows during Eidul Azha. Mamun preserves cow dung as manure for his rice field and vegetable garden.

Mamun has different fruit trees around his home. Such as mango (different varieties), jackfruit, java plum, java apple, pomelo, lychee, palm, dates, lime, papaya, ambarella (amra), guava, wood-apple, banana, sugar apple, pomegranate, elephant apple, rambai, karambola, jujube (kool), coconut Indian gooseberry.  His family enjoys the fruits and shares with their neighbors round the year. He never sells fruits.

His efforts and efficiency in agriculture makes his life and livelihood comfortable. His family is getting safe and nutritious food. He is an inspiration among local youth.

Translated by Rumaisa Samad