Ripon's successful shrimp farming in Khulna. Photo : BSS

KHULNA, Mar 20, 2025 (BSS) - Golam Kibria Ripon is now a familiar face in the district for his successful shrimp farming in Paikgacha upazila.

Ripon was a student of Govt B. L. College when he initiated shrimp farming back in the 1990s in a personal space. He expanded the business commercially in 2001 upon receiving overwhelming returns. He now owns six shrimp farms (locally called gher) on 1,800 bighas of land whereas it was 150 bighas in 2007.

Talking to BSS, Ripon shared that he never wanted to be an employee, rather he dreamt of being an employer. With elapsing time, Ripon has now become an example of successful entrepreneur and employed some 500 workers in his shrimp farms.

"When I was a student at Govt B L College in 1996, I began a small business that inspired me to start trading in 'Bagda chingri' (Tiger Prawn)," recalled the physics graduate.

He continued, "After completing my post graduation at the college, I pursued my businessman father's footsteps instead of seeking a job. In 2001, I began my entrepreneurial journey by developing a shrimp hatchery in Paikgacha."

Ripon, son of late Nazir Uddin, from the Boyra Rayermohol area in the Paikgacha upazila, received a number of awards at both upazila and district levels for being a successful shrimp farmer in the coastal region.

He is the President of Khulna Divisional Hatchery Traders Association and the General Secretary of Paikgacha Upazila Shrimp Farmers Association. His business operates under two titles -- Royal Fish Trading and Royal Fish Culture. 

Ripon attributes much of his success to the adoption of advanced techniques in shrimp farming, with support from the government's Fisheries Department. These innovations have not only increased production in his hatcheries but have also inspired neighboring farmers to follow suit. 

"The adoption of advanced techniques has greatly improved shrimp farming, and I have encouraged other local farmers to do the same," Ripon said.

Neighboring shrimp farmers, like Alauddin Sohag, acknowledged Ripon's role as a trailblazer in the industry. "Farmers in the coastal belt now follow the path Ripon has set," Sohag noted.

Besides shrimp cultivation in his farms, Ripon primarily collects 'Bagda' shrimp fries from Cox's Bazar as a wholesaler and sells them to local farmers.

He now earns between Tk 10 crores and 12 crores annually and has plans to expand productions further.

However, Ripon's journey to success was not without its challenges. 

"Shrimp farming was never easy. There were numerous obstacles, including disease outbreaks and opposition from powerful individuals," Ripon explained. "I faced resistance from influential figures, including former parliament members, over water extraction from the river during the Awami League regime. But I persevered," he said.

Senior upazila fisheries officer Saikat Mallik said currently there are nearly 5,000 small and large shrimp farms covering 20,000 hectares of land in the upazila.

He commended Golam Kibria Ripon's dedication to shrimp farming.

Khulna district fisheries officer Dr. Farhana Taslima said, "For years, farmers suffered losses due to traditional farming methods, disease outbreaks, salinity issues, and climate change. However, Ripon's shrimp farming techniques, including his cluster method, have shown local farmers how to overcome these challenges in the saline-prone coastal region."