All these were done only in eight years. His success now draws officials to his projects and also encourages others in the area.

Samad is an example for many of the poor in Akhaura upazila.

Abdus Samad lost his parents in childhood and became helpless. He survived by doing odd jobs.

Fortune smiled on him when he came in touch with a mosque-based mass education and training center run by Brahmanbaria Islamic Foundation.

It trained him in dairy and poultry farming, pisciculture, nursery and improved methods of vegetable cultivation.

He leased one acre of land near Hawra river in Akawra upazila and started a small nursery -- Al-Modina Nursery -- with only 2300 saplings. He leased another government land for 25 years and planted 2000 saplings of timber trees. He prunes the trees once a year and sells firewood worth about Tk 10,000. He hopes the trees will earn him minimum Tk 10,00,000 after 15 years.

This year, he earned Tk 25,000 from sale of cabbage, grown on a land. The local AED (Agriculture Extension Department) official helped him in vegetable cultivation.

Samad also leased 45 acres of ponds for fishery. This year, for the first time, he earned Tk 10,000 from the fishery.

Samad invested Tk 200,00 last year to start a poultry farm and a small dairy farm with seven cows. These earn him about Tk 20,000 a month now. His sons and daughters look after those.

District agriculture, fishery and veterinary officials regularly visit his projects and give necessary advice, Samad told this correspondent during a recent visit.