In the Gobindapur area of Ambikapur union, Sadar upazila, Faridpur district, Lovely Akter and Imtiaz Mollah have transformed their fortunes and become a beacon of success in onion seed farming, locally referred to as “black gold”. Starting with just two bighas of land, the couple has expanded their cultivation to 40 bighas, witnessing substantial economic growth that allowed them to construct a multi-storey building and continually invest in new land. The duo, parents to a tenth grader and a fourth grader, embarked on this venture after observing the lucrative outcome of onion seed cultivation within their family post-marriage. After her marriage, she found that some family members among her in-laws were involved in onion seed cultivation and decided to join along with her husband in this endeavor. They earned good money in the first year and haven't looked back since, Lovely shared. Onion prices fall by Tk30 per kg as seasonal supply rises in market

In Chapainawabganj district, the abundant harvest of summer onions and favorable market prices have delighted local farmers. The successful cultivation of the N-53 variety has made this season particularly profitable. The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) played a pivotal role in this success. They provided farmers with essential resources, including 1 kg of N-53 onion seeds, 20 kg of fertilizers (MoP and DAP), pesticides, and Tk 2,800 in cash for labor costs per bigha of land. Habiganj admin sets limits on onions purchase by retailers and consumers This comprehensive support was part of a government initiative benefiting 4,500 farmers. Additionally, the DAE offered crucial training, which contributed to the bumper yield. During a visit to Ghorapakhia in the Sadar upazila, the scene was one of industriousness, with farmers diligently harvesting their crops. Sayem Ali, a local farmer, shared his experience: "I've grown onions before, but the N-53 variety has brought an unprecedented yield. I'm expecting to harvest 108 maunds per bigha and, with favorable weather, even 120 maunds." He further noted the profitable market prices, with one maund selling for Tk 2,200. Despite investing Tk 30,000 of his own funds, the returns have been encouraging. Sayem intends to continue with N-53 cultivation, irrespective of government incentives. Govt directs to intensify field-level monitoring on onion prices

A young entrepreneur in Kurigram's Sadar upazila is reaping the benefits of orange farming, exemplifying self-reliance after completing his education. Abu Raihan Faruk, the enterprising youth, anticipates doubling his investment from selling a high-yield variety of oranges originating from China. Raihan, who finished his studies three years ago, chose entrepreneurship over job hunting. He started to cultivate various local and foreign fruits like mango, orange and grapes on his six-acre farm two and a half years ago. Recognizing the high demand for oranges in the local market, he focused on expanding his orange cultivation. Successful malta cultivation raises hope among farmers in Thakurgaon’s Ranishankail Starting with a single plant of the Chinese orange variety acquired from Bogura district, Raihan successfully grew 100 orange trees through graft cutting in just one and a half years. Encouraged by this success, he invested in commercial cultivation by dedicating two bigha of land to orange farming with an investment of Tk 20,000. Raihan found orange farming relatively hassle-free, requiring only compost fertilizer, pesticides, and anti-fungus spray for a healthy yield. He confidently expects to double his profits this year. He anticipates selling 15-20 maunds of oranges. The potential revenue from his orange harvest is estimated at Tk 80,000. Raihan also highlights the significant demand for oranges in Bangladesh, which currently relies on imports. He believes that local commercial cultivation could meet domestic needs and eventually lead to exporting oranges. Mohammad Kabir Hossain, a visitor to Raihan's orchard, is inspired by Raihan's success and plans to venture into orange farming himself. Biplab Kumar Mohonto, the deputy director of Kurigram's Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), acknowledged the novelty of orange cultivation in the district and offered support to Raihan. Returnee-migrant bets future on Malta farming in Rajshahi Raihan's journey illustrates how innovative agricultural practices can transform the livelihoods of young entrepreneurs and potentially reshape the agricultural landscape of districts like Kurigram.

Watermelon cultivation has started in the remote char area of the Brahmaputra River in Kurigram. Although watermelon cultivation started on an experimental basis last year, the number of farmers signing up to the this time. The yield has also been as expected. Farmers are hoping for double the profit if there is no flood in advance this year. However, if the government comes forward in marketing and banks provide loans with easy instalments, the misery of the people of the char area can be erased, or at least eased. Also read: Rain, hailstorm worry Khulna watermelon growers According to the Kurigram Department of Agricultural Extension, there are about 450 chars in 16 rivers in the district. There are about 45,000 hectares of cultivable land. Of these, farmers are starting cultivation on 35,000 hectares of land in 368 chars. Maize, watermelon, sweet pumpkin, cucumber and pepper have been cultivated in these char areas. Last year, watermelon was cultivated on 50 acres of land in Char Bagua village of Hatia union of Ulipur upazila of the district. In the early floods, 40 acres of crops were submerged and damaged. Yet the farmers did not stop. This year watermelon has been cultivated on 34 hectares of land in the char. Farmers have also started harvesting watermelons. Due to favorable weather conditions, the yield has also been as expected. As a result, they are hoping to make a good profit this time after overcoming last year's loss. However, the biggest obstacle to commercial cultivation in the char is marketing management. Besides, many farmers have left the land after being unable to cultivate these crops despite the desire, the banks not providing loans to the common farmers. Read More: Floating vegetable farmers in Pirojpur devastated by low prices Dashim Uddin of Bagua Char said three enterprising farmers have cultivated watermelon on 40 acres of land in this char. As a result of getting a large amount of loan from the bank, they have got the opportunity to cultivate on a large scale. Many farmers here have become interested in their farming, but they are not able to come forward due to economic reasons. Abdur Sabur, who cultivated watermelon, said, “Although watermelon was cultivated on an experimental basis last year, the watermelon field was washed away in the early floods. This year, I have cultivated watermelon on 14 acres of land. It cost me Tk6-7 lakh. I hope to pick up 20,000 watermelons. This will earn me an additional income of Tk6-7 lakh. However, the problem here is marketing watermelon. Wholesalers come here and buy watermelons at a lower price. If we could take melons to the city and sell, we would have made more profits. More farmers would have come forward to cultivate watermelon.” Read More: Bagerhat fruit farmer eyes foreign markets to expand thriving business The farmer also said watermelon seeds should be sown at the beginning of the month of Paush. After four months, watermelon can be lifted in the middle of chaitra month. There are some precautions to be taken in watermelon cultivation. In the sand land, a hole of one and a half feet in the 10-inch by 10-inch square has to be given some loamy soil, dung fertilizer and DSP in the pit. Forty grams should be given in each pit. In this way, after keeping it for a week, three seeds are sown in a pit. In addition, regularly insecticides have to be sprayed to protect against the attack of insects and rats. Abul Hossain Master, former chairman of Hatia Union, said at present, local entrepreneurs in the char area have become interested in cultivating various agricultural products. Due to economic problems, the rest of the farmers are unable to come forward. “Their misery would go away if banks and NGOs come forward.” Additional Deputy Director (Crops) of Kurigram DAE, Md Azizul Islam, said watermelon cultivation has started in the district since last year. Watermelon has been cultivated on 22,000 hectares of land this year. There is a plan to set up a collection center in the char areas so that the farmers do not suffer for marketing. Read More: Exporters want green signal for commercial cultivation of King Prawn

Thakurgaon’s Raju Hossain’s life has always been a story of struggle with poverty. He had to work in a brick kiln to bear his education expenses. His sacrifice and hard work paid off, as the recently published HSC results gave him and his family a reason to celebrate. Concerns over his future still remain, however. Raju passed with the highest grade, GPA 5, from humanities group. He appeared in the HSC exams from Ranisankail Degree College in Thakurgaon under Dinajpur Education Board. “Though I should be celebrating, I’m actually very concerned right now. I have no idea how I would manage all of the necessary university expenses. I want to study law,” Raju said in a tensed voice. Raju recalled always working and often having only one meal a day at times. Also Read: Ramjan defies poverty with GPA-5 at HSC, but his university education uncertain “I still didn’t lose hope and continued my studies,” the youth said. After his HSC exam, he sought loans from an NGO to pay for his coaching class – for university admission – fees. However, he had to quit taking coaching classes because it was difficult to cover all the expenses with that amount. Raju’s father Anwar Hossain is a van-puller, and his mother Nazma Begum works in a cold storage facility. Because of the family’s financial situation, Raju’s younger sibling had to drop out of school. Raju began working various jobs in the hopes of improving his family’s financial situation. He worked as a van-puller in addition to working in a brick kiln. Read More: HSC Results: Jashore Board secures highest pass rate & Dhaka excels in GPA 5 “My son suffered a lot. I’m overjoyed with his accomplishment. At the same time, I am concerned about how he will continue his studies,” Raju’s mother said. Raju’s teacher, Ranisankail Degree College’s lecturer, Safikur Islam Alam said, as Raju had to work as a day labourer, he was not regular in classes. “We are aware of his hardship. We are proud of him,” he said. The teacher urged the local affluent people to come to Raju’s aid so that the bright student can continue his studies and fulfil his dream of studying law. Read More: Physical constraint couldn’t deter Jashore girl to score GPA 5  Local Union Parishad chairman Abdul Bari said he was not aware of Raju’s case. “I’m delighted to learn this. I will personally assist him with his educational expenses,” he said. Sohel Sultan Zulkar Nain, UNO of Ranisankail, said the upazila administration will help Raju. “Raju has proven that if there’s a will, there’s a way. I will personally help him too.” A total of 10,11, 987 examinees, out of 11,77, 387, passed the 2022 HSC exams under 11 education boards of the country. Read More: GPA system in SSC, HSC under review: Secretary Of them, 1,76,282 students secured the highest grade, GPA 5, this year.

More often than not, the story of entrepreneurship is associated with young people. It’s like a dream story of a fresh mind finding a magic idea that transforms the world around for the better. But how much of that has to be the case always? Truth is, there are numerous examples of people finding success late in life. Some even go beyond to outshine so much that they achieve almost legendary status. Here’s our take on 10 business icons who started late in life. These heroic people defined that age as nothing more than just a number. Legendary entrepreneurs who started after 35 Ray Kroc The word fast food and McDonalds goes so much hand in hand that in some parts of the world, they are almost inseparable. As the global leader in the fast-food chain, McDonald’s has brought a paradigm shift in the food culture across the globe. But the story of McDonald’s didn’t start until Ray Kroc was 51 years old. From being a mixer salesman to founding a multi-billion-dollar food chain, it all started with Ray Kroc’s fascination with the McDonalds brother’s burgers. Kroc saw an immense opportunity in the California-based business. Using his several decades of sales expertise, Kroc turned McDonald's into what it is today. A global brand of 400,000 employees, an annual turnover of over 22 billion, and a name that’s close to every foodie's heart. Read Some Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh in Diverse Sectors Reid Hoffman The story of Reid Hoffman is of a chance entrepreneur. Being a Stanford graduate, he was well set to be an academician of Ivy league standards. However, he ended up at Apple computers as part of their eWorld project. This is where Hoffman first got an insight into the earliest version of social media. But he had to wait till 35 to achieve what he has created today. Over the years, Hoffman worked on several social networking ventures. However, none of them saw the expected result. But based on his previous failures and a chance need for a professional networking opportunity, LinkedIn was born. Today Reid Hoffman is worth 3.2 billion dollars. Read The World's 10 Self-made Youngest Billionaires in 2021 Stan Lee Anyone who’s into movies has heard of Marvels. You don’t even have to be a movie fan to know about them, as they are one of the largest comic booksellers in the world. And it all started with the illustrations of a 39-year-old man back in 1961. Stan Lee, together with Jack Kirby has created, what is now the epicenter of pop culture and superhero genre craze. Credited as the father of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee helped create a multi-billion-dollar empire that has achieved worldwide hype and recognition. Read Mukesh Ambani no longer among world's top 10 richest billionaires Chaleo Yoovidhya We can guarantee you that this is the least known name on this list. But wait till you find out what he founded. Chaleo Yoovidhya was born in a poor farmer family and lived most of his life as a farmer. This was until he moved to Bangkok to start his own pharmaceutical company called TC Pharmaceuticals. He specialized in a rejuvenating tonic drink. It wasn’t until he had a chance encounter with Australian businessman Dietrich Mateschitz that his life changed forever at the age of 61. Now you might be thinking what’s so fascinating about a tonic drink? Well, that’s because it's Redbull. Read  IT sector creating more billionaires in China: report Henry Ford Ford motors are known for their iconic cars which have impressed generations of customers. However, the start of the company wasn’t how you’d expect it to be. Henry Ford ran away from home at the tender age of 16 and started working as a mechanist. His fascination with cars leads him to found Ford motors at the age of 40. What soon followed was automobile history. It was estimated that he had a net worth of near 200 billion dollars. Read COVID-19 Enterprise Response Fund  launched for entrepreneurs Peter Thiel Peter Thiel is another genius mind to come out of Stanford University. A graduate of law, Thiel didn’t enjoy much the legal works as he did as an investor. It's his innate passion and foresight in investing that made him into what he is today. He was the co-founder of widely acclaimed payment gateway Paypal and served as its CEO until it was sold in 2002 to eBay. But his genius stroke was yet to be made until he invested in Facebook. Thiel is widely regarded as the first professional investor to invest in Facebook, a move that made him a billionaire over time. Read F-commerce entrepreneurs rising significantly: Palak Jack Ma Jack Ma is the leading example that you don’t have to be tech-savvy to make it big as an entrepreneur. The story of Ma is a truly fascinating one, considering he failed his high school entrance exam twice and got rejected for different jobs over 30 times. It wasn’t until he was 35 when he founded “China Yellow Pages”, which saw rapid success. However, that’s not where Ma’s story ends. He then went onto finding Alibaba, the global leader in B2B and B2C sales. Ma is currently worth over 28 billion dollars. Read KOICA unveils multi-component cooperation aimed at youth entrepreneurship Robert Noyce Robert Noyce is another glaring example of a lesser-known founder of something so well known; it will have you rubbing your eyes. If you are reading this article from a windows laptop, it's almost certain that it's powered by Intel. And Robert Noyce was an intricate part of the foundation of Intel. Coming from a humble background, Noyce worked on several ventures before stumbling upon Intel. He was 41 years old when he, along with Gordon Moore founded Intel back in 1968. He was estimated to be worth over 3.8 billion dollars. Read Humayun bats for women entrepreneurs at SME Foundation event Donald Fisher The story of Donald Fisher is an interesting one. It was the summer of 69 when Donald went through a little clothing crisis of not being able to find a pair of jeans to fit him. His wife Doris Fischer reluctantly decided to take the matter into her own hands and made a pair for her husband. What followed from there on was a complete takeover of the fashion market and GAP became what it is today, a multi-billion-dollar fashion line. Donald was 40 when he decided to start GAP along with his wife as the co-founder. Read Covid: A catalyst for women entrepreneurship in Bangladesh! Harland David Sanders Most prominently known as Colonel Sanders, this man had nothing to do with the military. What he did, however, shaped the modern food industry alongside McDonald’s. After a series of misfortunes, Sanders found himself selling fried chicken in a service store in Kentucky using a secret recipe that he devised himself. After the place burned down in a fire accident, Sanders moved to a nearby motel to start his restaurant. And that was how the global brand of KFC was born. Today they serve in over 18 thousand restaurants across 118 different countries. What's truly fascinating about all this is that Colonel Sanders was 62 years old when he founded KFC. A true example of glorious late achievements. Read Energy Investment: Entrepreneurs want arrangements for easier partnership with foreign companies Bottom Line So far, we have mentioned some highly successful people who started their business or company late in life. These entrepreneurs are the shining example that you don’t need much beyond will and dedication to make it big. So, if you are thinking of giving up on your ideas, think again. Who knows, you might also become a late-blooming success story. Read Greatest Business Movies for Entrepreneurs: Inspiration to Start Something New

Three Bangladeshi scientists, all of them women, have made it to the list of "best and brightest" 100 Asian scientists for their contribution to research. International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh's Dr Firdausi Qadri, Model Livestock Advancement Foundation's Dr Salma Sultana, and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology's Professor Saima Subrina have been included in the sixth edition of the list published by Singapore-based magazine Asian Scientist. Read Legendary Women in Bangladesh with Pioneering Contribution in Diverse Fields Scientists from China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam have also secured a place on the prestigious list. Researchers and inventors from across a range of scientific disciplines have been picked based on their role in tackling this year's key challenges, including Covid-19 and climate change, said Asian Scientist. Read 2 Bangladeshi women named in BBC 100 Women 2020 list All three Bangladeshi scientists previously received an international award for their leadership and role in effective discovery. Dr Firdausi, an emeritus scientist at icddr,b, won the L'Oréal-Unesco for Women in Science Award 2020 for her work on understanding and preventing infectious diseases affecting children in developing countries and advocacy for early diagnosis and global vaccination. Read Bangladeshi young medical scientist shines in Japan Dr Salma, the founder of Model Livestock Advancement Foundation, previously won the Norman E Borlaug Award 2020 for field research and application by the World Food Prize Foundation for her work with Bangladeshi small-scale farmers – namely her efforts involving veterinary outreach, treatment, and education.  Professor Samia received the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award 2020 for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World for her research on the properties and uses of nanomaterials. Read Women continue making amazing contributions in STEM fields.

Even after hail storm and insect attack, this season Boro crop has provided a good yield for farmers in Sylhet’s Bishwanath upazila this year. Cultivation of Boro paddy has exceeded the target there. Already Boro on 1.6 thousand hectares of land has been harvested and the farmers are happy at the super yield this year. Most farmers are busy harvesting ripe paddy. Also read: Jagannathpur farmers fret over stagnant water as boro yield hit There is no labour crisis this year and the government is providing subsidized rice harvesting machines. According to the Upazila Agriculture Extension Department, the target for borough cultivation in Bishwanath this year was set at 7.2 thousand hectares of land. Already Boro crop have been cultivated over 7.3 thousand hectares of land. Read Farmers in Laxmipur char leading the way in vegetable production The target for paddy production is 35 thousand metric tons this season. Farmer Jaber Ahmed of the upazila said, "I have cultivated Boro paddy at low cost without insecticides. Compared to other seasons, this time the yield has been as expected." “We are also happy getting a good price of paddy in the market," he added. Also read: Severe cold threatens Boro seedbeds in Kurigram Bishwanath Upazila agriculture officer Kanak Chandra Roy said farmers have already harvested 22% of the planted paddy and several sophisticated rice harvesting machines have been distributed among the farmers at subsidized rates. He further said, farmers will undoubtedly benefit from the good yield of Boro paddy this season. Due to low rainfall this year, the haor areas are not still filled with water and several crop fields are still visible. Read The curious case of onion 'lifting’ in Satkhira

One of the world's most popular health foods that have its roots in South America, quinoa is now being grown in Bangladesh for the domestic market. High in protein, dietary fiber, and amino acids, quinoa is often referred to as the mother of all grains. It is basically a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds. Its cultivation has already spread to 70 countries, including the US. Also read: Provide digital cards to farmers: Speakers And in Bangladesh too, after five years of research at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, the cultivation of the rainfed crop has begun in isolated pockets in the districts of Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, and Patuakhali. However, its farming is still at a nascent stage. "Following my application, the Ministry of Agriculture approved the cultivation of quinoa in Bangladesh in September 2020,” Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University's agronomy Prof Parimal Kanti Biswas told UNB. "After five years of research, I have started cultivating quinoa at the field level. The results are expected," he added. Read Manirampur farmers making money by broccoli farming

Over the past decade and a half, this migrant worker from Bangladesh has mesmerised the audience in South Korea with his prowess on the screen. Yet Bangladesh-born Korean superstar Mahbub Alam, also known as Mahbub Lee, holds the distinction of being unknown to many in his own land of birth. For Mahbub, it was a long journey and rarely an easy one. When he migrated to South Korea in 1999 to fund his ailing mother's treatment in Bangladesh, little did this alumnus of Government Tolaram College in Narayanganj know what lay in store for him. Also read: Forbes Asia's 100 Digital Stars features Bangladeshi actress pori moni. Thanks to his elder brother who was in Korea then, he got a job in a garment factory. Seven months later, his mother passed away in Bangladesh. While his elder brother returned to his home country, Mahbub chose to stay back. And his urge to protect fellow garment factory workers from exploitation in Korea prompted him to participate in social movements. “I first came to Korea in 1999 and I worked in a textiles and garment factory, where my job involved pressing film covering onto the fabrics. It was hard work, using a lot of industrial chemicals,” Mahbub said in an interview with AsiaRights. "At first, I wasn’t involved in any activism, but after about three years I started to do voluntary work in the Bangladeshi migrant community, taking up issues like industrial accidents and non-payment of wages. Many migrant workers in Korea work in very small firms, and their bosses sometimes cheat them out of their wages," he said. Also read: How a Bangladeshi woman scripted a success story in vermi venture. "I became secretary of the Bangladesh Mutual Association, which dealt with these sorts of social problems. Then in 2002, the Migrant Workers Trade Union was established. It was organised under the umbrella of the Korean Confederation Trade Union. We started going to rallies, and I became busy in the Union, writing publicity material for them and so on.” But Mahbub was quick to realise that stories of unjust treatment of garment workers in the South Korean apparel industry must surface in the mainstream media in order to drive a lasting change for them. So, he decided to test his luck at something new -- making documentary films on the plight of workers in the Korean garment industry.