Anjan Samaddar, a resident of the remote village Maliat in Narail, has turned his life around after losing his father at the age of 16 and fighting for his life for three years after being diagnosed with blood cancer in his early 30s.
Anjan, now 40, has an annual income of Tk15 lakh and has recently won an award at the national level.
Narail's Mariat is a village full of beel (water body). The beel has water throughout the year, making it hard to cultivate crops in the area. Taking advantage of this environment, Anjan has built six fish enclosures, encompassing an area of nine acres.
Anjan, however, had to go through lots of hurdles to reach his current position. He had to assume the responsibility of providing for his family of four when his father Ashok Samaddar, a trawler driver by profession, died when Anjan was a student of class eight.
After making a living by driving his father's trawler for some time, he sold the trawler and started farming. A year after his initial success, he got married.
He faced another trial in 2010 when he was diagnosed with blood cancer. He had to spend Tk21 lakh for his treatment, which he managed by selling fish and borrowing money from others.
The cancer could not suppress Anjan's spirit. He started farming various fishes in 2013 despite his illness.
Anjan eventually recovered from his illness and repaid his debts within four years.
In the first six months of the current year, Anjan has made a profit of nearly Tk7 lakh by selling prawns and various fishes. He hopes to earn an additional Tk8 lakh by selling the remaining fishes.
According to the district office of the Department of Fisheries department, fish farmers of the area do not use any harmful material in the farming of prawn. Anjan was a pioneer in terms of using this method, for which he was selected for a silver medal on the national level this year.
Narail Sadar upazila Fisheries Officer Md Enamul Haq said: "People like Anjan are inspiring others to take up fish farming; the Department of Fisheries takes pride in their success."
