October 27, 2025
MOULVIBAZAR – In the quiet hills of Moulvibazar’s Barlekha upazila, a one-acre orchard which began as a modest hobby by a teacher has blossomed into a vibrant, chemical-free garden featuring 100 fruit varieties, many of them imported.
Rezaul Karim Khandaker, a teacher from the Officebazar area in Dakshin Shahbazpur union, planted his first mango tree in 2017 on a slope beside his home.
Eight years on, his orchard now features over 50 varieties of mangoes alone, alongside a diverse range of fruits from around the world.
“When I saw the fruits thriving, I kept adding more varieties — both local and foreign,” Rezaul told The Daily Star.
A recent visit to the orchard revealed a meticulously organised landscape, where each tree is labelled with its name and origin. Mangoes, oranges, pomegranates, guavas, strawberries, and grapes hang from branches in orderly rows.
The garden features 10 varieties of orange and malta, seven types of grapes, and fruits such as apple, pear, persimmon, dragon fruit, jamrul (java apple), lychee, rambutan, salak (snake fruit), rose apple, Turkish mulberry, cashew, Philippine sugarcane, custard apple (atafal), and papaya.
Rezaul has also introduced exotic cultivars like African Red Peach, Black Surinam Cherry, and longan varieties including Thai Longan, Red Crystal, and Pingpong Longan — all carefully studied and adapted to thrive in the local climate.
Despite a successful mango harvest in previous years, Rezaul was unable to sell his crop this season. Instead, he has turned his attention to grapes, hoping to scale up production for commercial purposes.
“I’ve distributed fruits to my relatives and neighbors, but this year I’m hopeful about grapes. It’s my first attempt on a larger scale,” he said.
Visitors to the orchard are often astonished. Mahbub Alam, who traveled from Sylhet, said he had heard about Rezaul’s garden from a relative, “But I didn’t think I would be this amazed when I finally visited,” he said.
“I felt like I had stepped into a green paradise,” he said. “From Alphonso mangoes and Thai oranges to dragon fruit and Turkish mulberries — many of these I had only seen in documentaries. The garden is not just lush, it’s curated with attention to detail. Rezaul clearly understands what each plant needs.”
“As someone who grew up in a village, I’ve seen many orchards, but nothing comes close to this,” he added.
Rezaul Karim Khandaker and Md Monowar Hossain. PHOTO: THE DAILY STAR
Agriculture officials have taken note of Rezaul’s work. Barlekha Upazila Agriculture Officer Krishibid Md Monowar Hossain praised his initiative, calling Rezaul “an exemplary amateur farmer”, encouraging him to pursue commercial expansion.
“The orchard could easily become an educational site for students and young farmers,” Mahbub said. “It’s a living classroom in sustainable and diversified horticulture.”
Rezaul’s goal is to produce safe, chemical-free fruits for his family and community, while addressing the scarcity of foreign fruits in local markets.