ShykhSeraj : A successful Entrepreneur Synopsis

It's been almost three decades that a man from mainstream media has been giving his full effort for the development of the countryonly the agricultural development can show the sun of success- thats how he believed. ShykhSeraj, the indomitable agriculture development activist and media personality, is the man behind the success stories of agriculture in the country, thus he is known as the Son of the Soil. He started his working career with his agriculture documentary television programme, Mati O Manush (Soil & Men) back in 1982 which he continued till 1996. He was with Mati O Manush as a presenter for 588 episodes. His friends used to make fun of him when he started Mati O Manush while everyone was running behind glamour and entertainment programmes. But, this man kept quite and only kept the commitment deep inside his heart for the farmers. Once he got busy as the Director & Head of News of Impress Telefilm Ltd. / Channel-i since 1999, he started thinking once again to do something really fruitful for the farmers. Following that concept came three brand new programmes: HridoyeMati O Manush (Soil & Men in Heart) on Channel-i, HridoyeMati O ManusherDaak (The Post of Soil & Men in Heart) on Channel-i and KrishiDibanishi (Agriculture: Round the Clock) on the only state-run terrestrial television, Bangladesh Television. He is discovering the pin-point detail of agriculture with an elaborative method at the moment. Practical experience tells the truth. And, ShykhSeraj is the only person in the country who is bringing inch-detail of agriculture practically. No person has been this successful in highlighting the true success and affliction stories of agriculture in Bangladesh like ShykhSeraj. He has won prestigious awards in home and abroad e.g. EkusheyPadak (Bangladesh, 1995), A.H.Boerma Award, (FAO Headquarters in Rome, 2009), BCA Golden Jubilee Honour Awards (UK, 2010) and House of Commons Honourary Crest, 2011 (UK Parliament).

WORK, ACHIEVEMENT, ACCOMPLISHMENT OR PERFORMANCE

ShykhSeraj is a down to earth, very hard-working, innovative journalist and committed to improving lives of millions of farmers whom he claims `the real architects of rural Bangladesh. His pioneering contribution towards increasing public awareness of all aspects of agriculture and development in both the electronic and print media is quite exceptional and revolutionary. With almost three decades of experience in the Bangladesh media, Mr. Seraj has worked as a television and print journalist, presenter and producer in many television programmes, exploring the problems faced by farmers and rural communities. It has been said that his programmes give voice to farmers by bringing their problems to the attention of policymakers and government.

Shykh has successfully informed rural farmers, both men and women, about new agroinputs and technologies, how they should adopt and adapt to the new agricultural methods, harvest techniques and enlightened them with the information of new crops through his never-ending development journalistic mission. He brought latest news on agricultural development from around the world and has worked as global development journalist. ShykhSeraj highlighted the sub-sectors of agriculture which no journalist ever did in Bangladesh. He inspired poultry, dairy and fisheries sector, predominantly. Of course, he boosted the homestead gardening in accordance with the government. Millions of unemployed youth and women started earning money, working at home with the homestead, micro-gardening, poultry and fish farming- Shykhs relentless inspirational documentaries made this possible. During the early 90s, working hand in hand with the government, Shykh gave this new genre of agriculture a new hope. From 10000 farmers within a year 150000 farmers got involved with vegetable gardening on their homeyards. Once the poultry sector was pretty much neglected. Now, it is a 17000 crore BDT industry with forward and backward linkage. Its all because of ShykhSerajs restless media campaign. Before 1990, merely there were any commercial poultry farms. After his strong television campaign now, Bangladesh now has 0.1 million commercial poultry farms involving some 5 million people. Like the same way, he boosted up the fisheries sector that now has some 0.15 million commercial fish-farms involving at least more than 4 million people and is an industry, with forward and backward linkage, worth 22000 crore BDT. Previously, Bangladeshi fishers used to catch fish from the natural water-bodies, not beyond that. ShykhSeraj brought new dimension in spreading the message of fish-farming in household-adjacent ponds through his most popular narrative, Hakim Alis Fish Farm. With his very own initiative, Shykh went to many regions of the country to see the potentiality of bio gas plant and how it could come into real effect for the people of Bangladesh. With the remains of the livestock animals and poultry drops, when farmers started producing biogas, Shykh was the first person beside them to lift this on media so that others can follow and become successful. This remarkable alternative energy movement not only helped the rural-marginal farmers, but also the whole Bangladesh. ShykhSerajs is the first journalist who made us understand the idea that farming is not only for the villagers but also for city-dwellers. He single handedly revolutionized the idea of micro-gardening and had spread it everywhere around the cities. Rooftop gardening (Micro gardening) was a dream for any urban dwellers of the country. However, Shykh made it to veracity. Many household women started doing rooftop gardening. They used to cultivate vegetables and other fruits on their rooftops. Vegetables were cultivated only during winter season. But, he changed the core idea and people of all age, gender and class, started doing it on their rooftops through the year. Nobody knew that a concrete building could ever produce green vegetables. Through Shykhs relentless efforts, even the household women started expanding their views on agriculture and they contributed to this sector while meeting up their own demands. For the purpose of 12-month cultivation, ShykhSeraj started a campaign in the schools, known as, Educational vegetable farming on school-yards. There were plots where the

students used to cultivate. In this programme, round-the-year cultivation was boosted. Government assisted ShykhSeraj in this project. The motto of this programme was to inspire the young students who might go back at their home to inspire their parents to go for farming in future. This idea was a far-sighted vision of ShykhSeraj, which really has worked. Today, we can see the output of the project while many parents took agriculture as a profession to enhance agricultural production and their lives. ShykhSeraj is effectively working on climate change and its effects over agriculture and their remedies. He has worked very closely to reduce the usage of pesticides and promoted bio-pesticides for the cause of soil health. Farmers are now well aware around Bangladesh. He has promoted farmers indigenous knowledge and also scientific advancements made by Bangladeshi scientists. He is a strong voice against saline water shrimp farming and tobacco aggression over the arable lands and has went a long way with his investigative reports to unveil the truth in front of the people. Thats why government had to take its measure to stop the miscreants officially. Strawberry, Dragon Fruit, Auger, Bee farming- whatever be the agricultural product, ShykhSeraj has thorough work on the product and has brought out the goods to the farmers and people around the country so that they can develop and Bangladesh can make its place in the world with diversified agriculture. Shykh introduced a live broadcast, enabling farmers to join his programmes from remote areas and is currently working to break the digital divide by setting up an e-agriculture initiative to disseminate agricultural information to an ever wider audience.

1982-1996
588 episodes of Mati O Manush Hes the TV programme maker and anchor of the first-ever agricultural TV documentary, Amar Desh (Motherland) and Mati O Manush (Soil & Men) on Bangladesh Television. He was involved with the very popular agro-documentary Mati O Manush from 1982 until 1996. Freelance Anchor for BTV (Bangladesh Television (The only state-run television in Bangladesh) and Freelance Programme Producer of Bangladesh Open University.

2004
350 episodes and running HridoyeMati O Manush (Soil & Men in heart, Channel iA programme that primarily focuses on farmers demand, advanced agricultural technologies and worldwide agriculture (www.viddler.com/rmom).

2005
300 episodes and running HridoyeMati O ManusherDaak (Postbox of Soil & Men in heart, Channel i)This is the very first talk show between a marginal farmer and a policymaker where the grassroot farmer could demand for his rights and needs.

2007
150 episodes and running KrishiDibanishi (Agriculture: Round the clock, Bangladesh Television)This is the programme with which Mr. Seraj once again came back on BTV (Bangladesh Television) with a new outlook and format in the programme. And

2010
50 episodes and running Soil & Men in Heart (English dubbed+subtitled, TV Southasia). Already created great hype among the South-East Asian viewers. Hes also the Editor of an agricultural page, Mati O ManusherKrishi- Agriculture of Soil & Men), being published on Bangladeshs most historic and traditional daily, The Daily Ittefaq. He has written books on agricultural aspects which has helped many people to comprehend the real scenario of agriculture. His Pre-budget discussions (Very popular and leading open-field discussion with farmers in a format of a TV programme known as, Krishi BudgetKrishoker Budget- Agriculture BudgetFarmers Budget) with the villagers on issues ranging from fertilizer, seeds, irrigation, pest controle, technologies, farmers access to market and to other issues of agriculture brought forward different issues that warrant attention of the policy makers and thus helped introduction of interventions aimed at resolving these. In this event, he brings ministers and local government executives who answer the questions and demands of farmers in a live-dialogue format. Issues like farmers health were so appealing that a modern hospital in the capital offered to run field clinics and also agreed to offer free of cost health service to farmers (KrishokerShasthya Sheba- Farmers Health Service). He cheered up marginal-rural farmers through his ever-delightful farmers game shows (KrishokerEidAnondo/KrishokerBoishakhiAnondo- Farmers Eid Delight/Farmers Boishakhi Delight). ShykhSerajs remarkable technology transfers through electronic and print media include Drum Seeder, Leaf Colour Chart, Granular Urea, Alternate Wetting and Drying and Ribbon Retting. He also included Sowing Granular urea and Ribbon Retting in his popular farmers game show KrishokerEidAnondo which helped the message more clear to the general farmer who took up the new technologies after watching the show. Farmers in Bangladesh are always baffled with the intermediaries where they lose most of the profit for their produce. ShykhSeraj introduced two of the most effective initiatives: Green Bridge (The first cooperative society of farmers, initiated by a media personality, where farmers are no longer cheated as theyve become united) and a website, titled, www.krishimarket.com (Where farmers can sell their products online without the

interference of middlemen- uploading pictures and price of their products absolutely for free). Reuters Reporter and Producer Jennifer Marostica rightly said in her news report when she came to Bangladesh that ShykhSeraj has revolutionized fates of at least 100 million people in the country (Bangladesh) through his journalistic mission. He has helped millions not only in dreaming but also achieving a better life. His contribution to combating hunger, informing rural farmers and tackling poverty in Bangladesh did not go unnoticed. ShykhSeraj has received numerous prestigious awards and accolades for his services to his chosen sector. ShykhSeraj was awarded Bangladesh Governments Highest National Award EkusheyPadaak in 1995. He received American Ashoka Fellowship in honour to his poverty alleviation programmes through media (1992). He also received UNs FAO A.H. Boerma Award in 2009 for his effective development journalism to fight against hunger, which is the highest award for agricultural journalism Mr. Seraj has established a synergy among the media and the men in the field, which has an undeniable impact on policy makers, stakeholders across all sections of society and most of all, on the mindset of the poor peasants. His iconic role in this arena has a dramatic influence on the empowerment of the farming community, especially of the destitute village women. Media became his wielding weapon. Technology and traditional knowledge was tuned into tools of success. Seraj produced and anchored more than a thousand episodes that covered almost all the aspects of agriculture. He did not leave any corner of the country uncovered, reporting often as an investigative journalist from deep remoteness of rural Bangladesh. He lit the faces of farmers from all castes and creeds from the marginal poor to the rising entrepreneurs from all the localities of the land. ShykhSerajs camera has also covered the vast canvass of the global agriculture. His lens has panned across China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Australia, the USA, Britain, Italy and many other countries. He introduced many new agricultural technologies and good farming practices from abroad to Bangladesh and popularized them by his numerous TV programmes and publications. Through his spirited writings, he continuously fed the farmers with the latest information that acted as an incentive to produce more food. Seraj has also been wise in covering the agriculture industries and market infrastructures from around the world. This has been a part of the drive to minimize the middleman culture and enable the farmers to obtain the best value for their products in the market. He has started two Bengali websites on agriculture (www.ekrishi.com and www.krishimarket.com), one as a common portal of agriculture where people from around the world would get all the information on Bangladeshi agriculture and the other on everyday market prices of agriculture products.

Seraj is a gifted writer, who has relentlessly published articles, books and booklets on agriculture. He has written most prolifically in the Daily Jugantor and the Daily Ittefaq, two of the most circulated newspapers. His writings and programmes like Postbox of Soil and Men in the Heart are putting forward solutions to myriads of day-to-day problems the farmers face throughout the agricultural calendar. In 2005, he launched the field programmeKrishi Budget Krishoker Budget (Agriculture Budget Farmers Budget). Through this live TV programme, he enables farmers groups to express their needs. The findings are submitted to the policymakers and thus field level demands are reflected in the national budget. Agriculture now has the highest share of the budget in the current fiscal year. This is a direct manifestation of farmers empowerment. Seraj also promotes the unity of farmers and supports the formation of farmers associations, one worthy of mentioning is, Green Bridge, where farmers can sell their products, devoid of the middlemen influence. A viewer group of his programmeHridoyeMati O Manush organized themselves into farmer clubs around the country. These associations are providing a platform for exchange of information, ideas, knowledge and empowering the rural communities. Seraj in recent years has been energizing the revival of the farmers cultural heritage. He brings on live TV village celebrations of age-old festivities of rural Bangladesh. Events are broadcasted from the far corners of the country as KrishokerEidAnondo (Farmers Eid Delight) or KrishokerBoishakhiAnondo (Farmers New Years Celebrations). He has also brought back century-old boat racing in which thousands participate with momentous spontaneity and joy. Lets stand beside the farmers with a little bit of delight, which will encourage them, ShykhSeraj expresses his thoughts, Lets bring a little smile on their faces. ShykhSeraj professed in the early 80s that urban agriculture can also play a significant role by utilizing barren places like roof-tops, garages etc in city households. Since then, roof-top gardening has become a common occurrence in cities and towns since the eighties. Even up to the mid 80s, farmers didnt know what is meant by fish farming. ShykhSeraj made it to reality for the farmers and brought the main features of fisheries and fish farming only to be publicized later on BTV. He created a narrative titled Hakim Alis Fish Farm in a similarly successful publicity campaign promoting the utilization of barren lands and abandoned ponds. His coverage of the impact of saline-water shrimp cultivation on agro-ecology in the southern zone (Dakop) was a milestone. He showed how the unauthorized entry of saline water through the sluices devastates cultivable lands. Such practices are now prohibited by the law-enforcement and also discouraged by the agrarian society. His campaign against water-logging in the mid south-west (Bhobodoho, Monohorgonj) has resulted in concerted efforts by the public and the private sector in turning zones from extreme poverty and despair to prosperity and hope. Bangladesh, till today, is faced with the biggest of crises, unemployment. Shykh boosted this category of people to get involved with agriculture. The result was really remarkable. All those people who had lost their hope in their lives started being involved with the sector.

Their lives changed with the produce that they did as farmers. The big chunk of educated youth was also boosted by Shykhs TV programmeMati O Manush. Poultry sector is now an industry worth 17000 crore BDT and fisheries a total of around 22000 crore BDT. Serajspersevering campaign of lifting up the sub-sectors of agriculture resulted in this huge numbers and unemployed youth and women groups have turned into successful agroentrepreneurs. This is really a great achievement for a programme and a presenter to revolutionize the mindsets of the audience. Through his campaign to bring the rural realities to the urbanity, many urban people took agriculture as part-time profession, even living in the cities. Seraj has continued to expand his sphere of innovative programmes. Recently he initiated Farmers Health Service in collaboration with another entrepreneur Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital. Teams of doctors visit remote communities, targeting the rural marginal poor, to help meet their primary health care needs, who are otherwise devoid of basic health care. Another campaign called JibonKheya (Life-ferry) aims to provide treatment to critically ill poor farmers from fatal diseases like cancer. Meanwhile, through Serajs continuous farmers health camp, more than hundred thousand rural farmers received free medication around the country. Serajs persuasion and endeavour over the years has succeeded in the broadcasting of agricultural news as a regular news item in almost all the TV channels in the country. This is a paradigm shift in a society where agriculture was neglected on the grounds that it was the poors job. He started an individual Agriculture Bulletin to strengthen his movements for the rights/cause of farmers. Farmers can join his programmes live from remote areas and put forward real time problems and share the solutions. He has also introduced an EAgriculture initiative to propagate and disseminate agricultural information, reviews, farmers demands and views through the digital world. This will help modernize agriculture and also minimize the digital divide in the farmers favour. ShykhSeraj is a natural extension worker too. He has always been eager to bring in new and innovative technologies in a simple form to the farmers with his down-to-earth interpretations. Drum Seeders, Leaf Colour Chart and Granular (Guti) Urea are three technologies which were spread all over the country with the initiative of Seraj. Later, he also introduced technologies like Alternate Wetting and Drying (Using less water to grow rice) and Ribbon Retting (Eco-friendly method for improvement of fibre quality). He is also fighting for a pesticide-free agriculture, part of which includes the propagation of Tricograma, BraconHebetor and Sex Pheromone as biological insect killers that save on cost and protect the environment. He is untiringly writing on the impacts of climate change and pioneering in putting forward the indigenous adaptation capabilities of the naturally resilient farmers of Bangladesh. His movement against pesticides, tobacco cultivation over arable lands was really very effective. Farmers went towards bio-pesticides and also stopped cultivating tobacco on agricultural lands. He has opened up a great platform for the online viewers around the world using social media websites. One among these is www.viddler.com/rmom where the regular subtitled programmes are uploaded for ready reference. To get more attention and awaking people

through the short message system, ShykhSeraj has started the twitter (www.twitter.com/matiomanush). Gradually people have started following and the response is getting better. Same goes with the flickr page HridoyeMati O Manush. His radio interviews (Bengali) could be found at http://soundcloud.com/tfqhmd/sets/shykh-seraj. And the photostream of HridoyeMati O Manush is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/51937229@N05/. In 2008, the World Food Day was celebrated with unprecedented participation of farmers and citizens from all over the country and Seraj organized a live broadcasting of the festivities from the capital as well as from the farmers field exhibitions. Bangladesh also introduced a National Agriculture Day in 2008 which was celebrated on 15 November (01 Agrahayan). Seraj joined hands again with the Government, FAO and the private sector to make the inaugural celebrations a grand success in his signature live telecasts. ShykhSeraj has triggered a silent revolution in agriculture in Bangladesh. His achievements are well recognized at home. He was awarded, among many others, the EkusheyPadak (the highest National Award) in 1995, Rotary International Award in 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2005 and 2007, Ashoka Fellowship (USA) in 1992, Sheltech Award in 2004, most prestigious UNs FAO A.H. Boerma Award (2008-2009) and BCA Golden Jubilee Honour Awards in 2010 from United Kingdom.

HIGHLIGHTS OF WORK Reducing hunger and poverty alleviation

ShykhSeraj has been working and still is working to ensure the food security of the nation. And, his tool is Mass Media. No media person has been working with this much of enterprise, labour and initiative to fight for food security. He successfully inspired many farmers to take up new technologies, new varieties of rice to produce even more. With his continuous propagation, even after two consecutive floods and category 4 cyclone, Sidr during 2007 and Aila in 2009, farmers have been very much successful to produce the record amount of Boro rice. It was only possible through Shykhs insistent promotion of agriculture and the course of bringing up the latest information which basically assisted the farmers to produce more. One day Bangladesh will have all its resources to produce food and the golden farmers of the nation will have their highest honour as they are the ones who are basically feeding the nation and they should have their best partpoverty will be completely alleviated from the nation when all the marginal populace will come forward to agriculture to be self-reliant- thats how he believes.

Opening the door for development journalism

In this neglected world of agriculture, ShykhSeraj was the one who continuously fought for the farmers through his Development Journalism to fight with the issue of food security and to bring smiles on the faces of millions of destitute farmers of the nation. Perhaps, sometimes inspiring them with entertainment games shows; perhaps sometimes giving

them the actual information or perhaps sometimes knocking the doors of the policy level. While ensuring the food security and having the target of alleviating the poverty all around Bangladesh, this man had his only strength, mass media and with continuous implementation of development journalism for at least 27 years, the food security and poverty alleviation of the country has been assured. He travelled to the most remote regions of Bangladesh and of course travelled the outer world just to bring effective information to boost up the agriculture of Bangladesh. Farmers Hero and Son of the Soil keeps on moving onward and will do every possible thing for the betterment of the marginal farmers, agriculture and socio-economic development of Bangladesh.

Introducer of E-Agriculture
E (Electronic) world covers Television. And, for the last 27 years, this man is handling television media and print media as his tool to propagate and disseminate the agricultural information, reviews, views, farmers demand and knocking the policy levels. Recently, the concept of E-agriculture is spreading worldwide and Bangladesh is no out of that concept. The concept principally focuses upon the engagement of computer based technologies with information. Computer is part of E world along with TV and Radio. ShykhSeraj has been successfully operating his programmes since the year 1982 on the Electronic Media i.e. the E Media. And, whenever, his journalism fell under the category of agriculture, which verily proves that he was actually dealing with the E agriculture since the year 1982. ShykhSeraj plans to execute his own plans regarding future of E Agriculture. Hes recently working with a complete agriculture portal (www.ekrishi.com). Hes the mentor of farmers online market platform www.krishimarket.com where farmers can upload pictures and prices of their products for free. Hes not only focused on his TV audience. He has opened up a great platform for the online viewers around the world using social media websites. One among these is www.viddler.com/rmom where the regular subtitled programmes are uploaded for ready reference. To get more attention and awaking people through the short message system, ShykhSeraj has started the twitter (www.twitter.com/matiomanush). Gradually people have started following and the response is getting better. Same goes with the flickr page HridoyeMati O Manush. His radio interviews (Bengali) could be found at http://soundcloud.com/tfqhmd/sets/shykh-seraj. And the photostream of HridoyeMati O Manush is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/51937229@N05/.

Neglected turns accepted

Agriculture was the most neglected occupation in the country but ShykhSeraj is the one who brought agriculture into the spotlight with great importance; many farmers have changed their fates through this neglected occupation. Now, the occupation is considered as Well-accepted.

Climate change
The earth is not anymore the earth we used to know. Clear sky, fresh air, fertile soil and a friendly climate- nothing is there any longer. A whole lot has changed. Only sunrise and

sunset remained unchanged. The heat, temperature, warming, biosphere, and cold in the Himalayas or the snowy nature at the polar regions-nothing seem to be on right track. The natural regulations in the deepest regions of the oceans and over the ground- nothing is functioning perfectly. The land and the deep structures of soil isnt working right as well. All has changed. In this quiet and favourable nature, we were actually sleeping. We didnt ever understand we are the ones who are solely responsible for these severe consequences on earth. It seems like a suicide. Soil health is in decay and ShykhSeraj has been promoting among the farmers not to suck all the inherent qualities of the soil. In that case, the soil will lose its quality to produce during the most terrible time. Shykh has kept up his awareness programme among the farmers, telling them not to put too much of pesticide on the crops and soil. Gradually, the farmers now understand this. Hes been active against the man-made calamities as well. Having all these adverse impacts of climate change in mind, ShykhSeraj will be working on climate change all through 2010 and will continue doing it. Meanwhile, he has promoted saline tolerant, drought tolerant and flood tolerant rice varieties in various parts of Bangladesh.

Bridging gap between policymaker and farmer

Meanwhile, the findings of ShykhSeraj in his programmes, has become the essential guideline for the agriculture policies. He is discovering the pin-point detail of agriculture with an elaborative method at the moment. Practical experience tells the truth. For consecutive three years his innovative field-programme, Krishi BudgetKrishoker Budget (Agriculture BudgetFarmers Budget) has gained remarkable success. This is the programme which is being held every year just before the financial budget of the country. The purpose of this programme is very much evident i.e. the farmers can demand what exactly they need via the programme of ShykhSeraj. Afterwards, all the demands and desires of the farmers are chalked out in brief just for a set of recommendation. This recommendation is again put forth to the Finance Minister Agriculture was given the highest priority during Financial Budgets of 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. This is truly a history-making incident of the country and for the very first time, Agriculture was starting to get on the table with more significance. ShykhSerajs persevering effort of knocking the Policy Level has made it possible. Its mentioned above that HridoyeMati O ManusherDaak (Postbox of Soil & Men in Heart) is one of ShykhSerajs very important programmes. The prgramme features a general farmer and a policy maker (Representing Government, Ministry or Concerned who has the authority to assist the farmer). The programme is conducted by ShykhSeraj himself. The farmer can present his very own problem directly to the Policymaker instantly in this programme and the Policymaker has to put his views and has to show the farmer the guideline regarding how to get rid of his problem or ensure him that he will get what he is looking for. This is a direct demand-solving programme for the farmers as they get the chance to meet the right person.

Farmers Health Service

Farmers Health Service has always been a long-awaited dream for the HridoyeMati O Manush team. This was the pre-determined concept of ShykhSeraj, regarding fulfillment of the primary demands of farmers. And, in accomplishing that target HridoyeMati O Manush Team and Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital (A local hospital) came into an accord to deliver health service to the farmers. This was the very first time that a television programme unit stood beside the farmers with the assistance of a hospital. The objective: Health Service for the local, poor male and female farmers and their children. With Polio Immunization for the children each and every health service programme starts and thats a trademark start. A government school premise is used for this kind of service and Saturday is the chosen day for the health service programme as its holiday at schools in Bangladesh. So far, over 1,00,000 farmer-patients were provided primary health service for free all around the country. More importantly, the DC and the local reputed representatives were present in all the campaigns. More districts and patients will be under the Farmers Health Service coverage as this is a weekly programme. Also, the first-ever farmer unit, named JibonKheya (Life Ferry) started at Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital with the initiative of ShykhSeraj. A remarkable achievement for any nation. In future, Shykh plans to build an entire hospital for the farmers where they would get free medical services.

Technology Transfer
Firstly, Drum Seeder, Leaf Colour Chart and Granular Urea are the three technologies which are now being massively spread all over the country with the initiative of ShykhSeraj. And also, during one of the versions of KrishokerEidAnondo, ShykhSeraj presented a game where the farmers had to sow Granular urea. There, the technique of sowing Granular urea was one of the vital parts of winning the game as well. So, the demonstration of the technology was done only by a simple but enjoyable game. Thats how easily the technology can reach the doors of millions of farmers of the country. Then again, Drum Seeder was given as the first prize during the Granular Urea Sowing event. Very recently, ShykhSeraj has been working for pesticide free agriculture, part of which includes the propagation of Tricograma, BraconHebetor and Sex Pheromone as the biological insect killers were very much accredited throughout the nation. He has simplified technologies while attaching them in farmers game show e.g. Sowing Granular urea and Ribbon Retting.

Agriculture in the mirror of the world

ShykhSeraj has not only been covering only the countrys agriculture, but he has been covering almost every corner of Asia. He has visited China, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, Vietnam, USA, UK, Australia, Italy, UAE and many more countries to bring the latest news and reviews of agriculture. People of the country, including all the peasants from the nation are very much eager to adopt the new agriculture system from abroad. One of the best examples of this tradition is now the farmers are getting more and more interested to go for Strawberry cultivation.

ShykhSeraj covered the agricultural industries and market infrastructure from around the world where there is no middle-man and the farmers can have the best output of their produce from the market. With his highly analytical and research-based orientation, ShykhSeraj will continue bringing up the good and innovative stories from around the world, which will basically work for the betterment of Bangladeshs agriculture.

Popularizing agriculture in the urbanity

ShykhSeraj is the first journalist in Bangladesh to publicize that Urban Agriculture can play the vital-most role in bringing success. As we know that there are barren lands and unused ponds all over the country, there are barren places (Roof-tops, Garage, and Homestead) in the city households. Earlier, ShykhSeraj had brought the tremendous narrative on Hakim Alis Fish Farm. With that inspiration, ShykhSeraj thought of bringing up the city people into agriculture. Then, during the 80s the household poultry, roof-top gardening became a common trend in all the city regions. ShykhSeraj is the sole contributor to this great revolution. Many unemployed and educated youth and women got involved with agriculture and were hugely profited.

FireyCholMatir Taney (Returning to roots)

An innovative venture.ShykhSeraj takes urban university students straight to the villages. The target is to make these students work as agro labours and let them understand how originally a labour feels and whether hes being deprived at any stage of his work. The first group of students was selected from East West University. These students will come back and write about the real miseries, physical and mental loads that the agro-labours have been taking for many years. The research paper that the students will produce will be submitted to the government in form of recommendation on behalf of HridoyeMati O Manush.

Environmental Activist
Dakop, the coastal region of salinity is now cursed with saline water all over its arable lands. People of this region are heavily influenced with producing saline water shrimp. Although, shrimp production is very much profitable, but the peoples staple crops are going in vain due to the extreme salinity in this region. ShykhSeraj covered the detailed report on Dakop and his investigative report findings presented very interesting information that the unauthorized opening of the sluice gates are actually illegally letting the saline water enter the arable lands. Still his investigative journalism goes on to free Dakop from the salinemonster. Bhobodaho and Monhorogonj are the two regions of Bangladesh which were long been waterlogged. And, the agriculture of those regions was almost stuck at one place. ShykhSerajs continuous news reports and TV programmes have alerted the government to take action. And, government is working very effectively. Same goes with repeated news reports on tobacco cultivation over the arable lands at different regions of Bangladesh. Government has ruled out tobacco cultivation after his series reports against tobacco cultivation.

Cooperatives for farmers

The long-awaited dream of uniting farmers at one single place Shykh started farmers unique cooperative platform, Green Bridge, alternatively known as HridoyeMati O Manush Farmers Cooperative Association. The office is based at Pabna and is run by a successful farmer of that region, Moyezuddin who is the role model for farmers living in that region. The organization is gradually spreading its activity all over the country since 2009.

Mati O ManusherKrishi
Agriculture of Soil & Men Since the 3rd of August, 2008, Bangladeshs most popular and historical daily newspaper, The Daily Ittefaq started publishing the first-ever complete agricultural page, titled as Mati O ManusherKrishi (Agriculture of Soil & Men). The Editor of this page is ShykhSeraj himself. Every Sunday, this page is published on the Daily Ittefaq. The page is now well matured and is developing even more with acute analysis, evaluation, updated agricultural information from country and abroad, urban agriculture, reviews and opinions and farmers column etc.