The story of turning passion into profit

A resident of Badaghat village in Sunamganj's Tahirpur upazila, Fazlu Mia has always been fascinated by birds and the idea of entrepreneurship.

In 2019, Fazlu, then a tea seller, bought a pair of pigeons of local variety for Tk800. And soon this humble villager turned his hobby into a full-fledged business – that of pigeon rearing.

"On an average, I spend Tk5,000-6,000 a month on pigeons – that's on food and medicines, and earn a profit of Tk25,000-30,000 per month by selling the birds," said Fazlu.

The 30-year-old does not have any formal education, and that's why he started selling tea at Badaghat Bazar.

"I used to toil day and night to ensure two square meals a day for my family. Now, I am a successful entrepreneur," he said.

Fazlu owns a small pigeon farm on the premises of his home, big enough to house 100 pairs of 15-20 different species, including Homer, Red Siraji, Giribaj, Moyurponkhi and China. "My wife is also actively involved in our business," said Fazlu. 

"These birds are prone to viruses and contagious diseases. So, they need a very clean environment and we ensure that in our farm," the entrepreneur pointed out.  

Recently, Fazlu also took a loan of Tk1 lakh from a local NGO, 'Asha', to expand his pigeon farm.

He dreams of owning a large-scale business someday.

"The government must take necessary steps to ensure hassle-free loans for entrepreneurs like us," added Fazlu.

Every day, people from different parts of the district flock to Fazlu's farm to purchase pigeons.

Fazlu is also admired by many in the village.

"He is a bird lover and inspiration for youths in the village," said Mohammad Shah Alam, a local doctor.