He earned the fortune in only seven years from a nursery. Starting with only one acre, his Simanta Nursery on about 15 acres is the biggest one in the entire southwestern region.

He plans to expand it to 30 acres by January this year.

Lokman Hossain had passed HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate) examination in 1988. As usual, unemployed Lokman became a burden on his father Taslim Uddin.

The family planned to send him to Middle East for any odd job and arranged Tk one lakh for this. This was in 1995.

But Lokman was unwilling to go abroad on any odd job. He had great ideas in his mind-- to do something creative that would benefit him and the people.

He decided to set up a nursery and told his parents to give him the money they arranged for sending him abroad.

Finding Lokman determined, they agreed reluctantly.

Young Lokman went to his sister-in-law Golam Mstafa who had a nursery in Jhumjhumpur in Jessore to earn experience.

Finally, young Lokman set up a nursery on one acre of leased land at his Padmapukur village in bordering Mohespur upazila in Jhenidah district in 1996. He had to fight many odds, from his family and neighbours.

Now his nursery is famous for all types saplings of timber and fruit trees.

"I earned about Tk 45,000 in the first year when the total expenditure was around Tk 15,000.

"I expanded the nursery to five acres next year," Lokman told this correspondent during a recent visit to his nursery.

Lokman says he is making a significant contribution by replacing traditional fruit trees in the area with good and high yielding varieties.

He supplies mango saplings of Himsagar, Langra, Gopal Bhog, Fazli, Amropali and Maallika, and also of different timber and flower plants.

Saplings are also supplied to Dhaka, Sylhet, Chittagong, Barisal, Faridpur and other districts.

In the current tree plantation season, he earned over Tk 12 lakh, from sale of over 2.5 lakh saplings, a proud Lokman said. Profit is higher from mango saplings, each selling at over Tk 50.

Sales rallied around this figure last year and the year before. This correspondent saw two truckloads of saplings ready to leave Dhaka.

Lokman said truckloads of mango saplings are supplied to far away districts like Comilla and Noakhali also.

Lokman also have provided employment to over 50 youths.

By his time, Lokman has bought four acres of cropland by the profit and dug a two-care pond for fish farming.

Many in his village and surrounding areas are now encouraged by his success, Lokman said.