What began as a simple idea to make productive use of his spare time has grown into one of the most inspiring agricultural success stories in Laxmipur. Mazharul Islam Naim, a teacher of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at a local madrasa, has turned hundreds of decimals of once-fallow land into a thriving fruit orchard. His venture, known as Khan Agro Park, is now home to around 6,000 dragon fruit plants, along with papaya and guava orchards and more than 50 goats.
The Birth of Khan Agro Park
Located in Madhya Charramoni Mohan village under Sadar upazila, the orchard was established in 2021 after Naim leased 320 decimals of unused land. With financial support from his father, Nazrul Islam Khan, he invested Taka 2.5 million to launch the venture. Although he has never received formal agricultural training, Naim relied on digital resources and online learning to build what is now a flourishing agribusiness.
From Idea to Reality
Drawing knowledge from YouTube and other online platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic, Naim carefully planned and expanded his cultivation of dragon fruit, papaya, and guava. The farm now presents a striking sight, with rows of concrete pillars supporting climbing dragon fruit plants bearing flowers, green fruit, and fully ripened harvests. Workers move through the orchard picking ripe fruit into buckets before carrying them to a packing shed, where wholesalers sort, weigh, and purchase the product for distribution to markets.
Economic Impact and Community Inspiration
As the business has expanded, total investment has reached around Taka 5 million. During the current harvesting season alone, Naim expects dragon fruit sales to generate between Taka 1.5 million and Taka 2 million. The venture has also created regular employment for several local workers, who are engaged in harvesting, grading, packaging, and marketing the fruit while Naim balances farm management with his teaching responsibilities.
Local Support and Future Prospects
Local farmers Abul Hossain and Tofayel Ahmad believe dragon fruit offers promising prospects because it suffers from relatively few diseases and commands attractive market prices. "With proper training and technical support, many more farmers will become interested in dragon fruit cultivation," they said. "We once believed it was an exotic fruit that could not be grown here. Now, Naim has proved otherwise."
A Model for Rural Development
Reflecting on his journey, Naim said the idea took shape during the pandemic when he explored dragon fruit cultivation through YouTube and online resources. "I started with an investment of around Taka 2.5 million," he said. "Now the farm is creating jobs and people from distant places come to visit and learn from the project." His father, Nazrul Islam Khan, now oversees daily supervision and marketing activities. Md Manjur Hossain, Training Officer of Laxmipur District Department of Agricultural Extension, described Naim as an example of a new generation of rural entrepreneurs using technology to unlock agricultural potential. "Naim’s vision and technology-driven planning have transformed unused land into productive farmland while creating employment and new economic opportunities," he said.
