symbolic photo. pexels

DHAKA, Jan 20, 2025 BSS) - Rahela Akhtar became helpless after her husband lost a leg in a tragic road accident in 2016. They used to live in a village in Sadar upazila in Narsingdi. 

Her day labourer husband was the only bread-earner of his family. After his injuries, Rahela fell into a deep crisis to run her six-member family. Later, she decided to do something in their land in the char. 

In the beginning, she planted seeds of sweet potato and some vegetables at only 3 kathas of char land. First time she earned about Taka 17,000 by selling potato and vegetables. Later, she cultivated groundnut along with potato and vegetables. 

Not only Rahela, thousands of extremely poor people living in 12 remote char unions of Sadar and Raipura upazilas of the district have successfully defeated poverty through various income-generating activities. 

Local people said most of the people here have achieved tremendous success through farming groundnut, sweet potato and various vegetables on vast tracts of sandy barren char land in Meghna and Arial khan river basins. 

Beside, a number of poor people living in the char villages of the district have also achieved self-reliant through rearing of livestock on the char land, fish farming and duck rearing in the rivers, they said. 

The local Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) imparted training to the farmers of char villages on groundnut, sweet potato and various vegetables cultivation. 

The DAE also provided them with seeds and pesticides free of cost. Currently, the people of char villages of the district are leading a completely changed life with achieving hygienic sanitation and access to pure drinking water, reducing of malnutrition to their children, women and pregnant women. 

Rahela said, “We are happy now. My three children are now going schools. Many women of the area have become successful through farming in char land.” 

She said the DAE is providing necessary advices, seeds and pesticides free of cost. They also visited the char area regularly to train the farmers to this end, she added. 

Deputy Director of the DAE Lotafat Hossain said farmers of the locality could bring revolutionary changes in their life after getting training as well as assistance from them.