A market for local and foreign birds of many breeds is held every Friday at Mirpur 1 in the capital. Starting from the road in front of Shah Ali school, it stretches for about one and a half kilometres. Birds arrive in cages from far and wide, and buying and selling goes on from morning till afternoon, filling the whole area with buyers and sellers.

What stands out most is the sheer number of pigeons, of many local and foreign breeds, in a variety of sizes and colours. From pigeons to parakeets, mynas, budgerigars, cockatoos and doves, all sorts of birds are on sale. Foreign birds in particular impress visitors with their colours, form and variety. Prices depend on demand and colour, and are sometimes sky-high.

Although the market is mainly given over to birds, there are also chickens of various breeds, cats and rabbits, adding to the variety. Walking through, one comes upon two cages in a corner, with several rabbits inside busy running and jumping.

Beside the cages, a man was telling young buyers about the rabbits' characteristics and care. Amid the chatter he could be heard saying, "This rabbit is pregnant, by the way." The lively rabbits darting about the cage and their innocent looks are an unexpected treat for visitors to a bird market.

Talking to the seller revealed the story of an entrepreneur. His name is Md Gagan Hasan. His home village is in Barishal, but he now lives with his family in a rented house in Ashulia, where he works in a garment factory. Not content with his wages alone, he rented a rooftop and started a small farm to earn extra, putting his limited time and determination to use.

He spends his free time on the farm. On the rooftop he keeps about 30 local and foreign rabbits, most of the foreign ones Japanese. He also keeps local chickens and some birds.

The small enterprise is no hobby but the fruit of three years of steady work and perseverance. Running a farm alongside a job is not easy, but he has learned to balance the two, with a great deal of help from his family.

Friday is his weekly day off, and it is also the day the bird market is held at Mirpur 1. So every week he uses his day off to bring rabbits, chickens or birds from his farm to sell. "I have been doing this for three years as an extra source of income alongside my garment job. My whole family stands by me and helps at every step. Every week I bring rabbits and other animals to this market in Mirpur," Gagan Hasan said.

Asked about costs and profit, he said, "I sell a pair of local rabbits for Tk 600 and a pair of foreign ones for Tk 1,400. Since the market is mostly birds, rabbits are in separate demand. Local chickens also sell at a good price."

"Raising rabbits doesn't cost much," he added. "I feed them grass, komli shak (leafy greens), rice and bran. They grow up healthy on this ordinary food, so the income from raising them is a bit higher."

After all costs, Gagan Hasan earns Tk 20,000 to Tk 22,000 a month. It has brought his family financial comfort and is slowly moving him towards his dreams. Juggling a job, family responsibilities and farm work is not easy, but young entrepreneurs like Gagan Hasan show that with will and hard work, any dream can be made real.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.