Rooftop farming can be the source of a joint family's close bond. An example can be found at the home of retired government official Nazrul Islam in Uttara, Dhaka, where the family is as well arranged as the garden.

The building went up in 1994, and rooftop farming has been practised ever since. Fruit, flowers and vegetables seem to matter as much for art as for meeting the family's nutritional needs.

In the 21st century, when family bonds are hard to find, this family still keeps the joint-family tradition, and the rooftop farm has played a big part in preserving it. Inside the house too, art and nature are closely linked, and the mother, Monowara Begum, shelters everything like a shade. Fruit trees, flower buds and seasonal vegetables all blend with the wishes and bonds of the whole family.

Source: Shykh Seraj, Chhad Krishi (episode 116). First published in Bengali on The Agro News.