Many farmers are following him in Komolganj upazila in the district now.

The people of his area are proud of Karim, who got the National Agriculture Award this year for his outstanding achievement in the field.

"I have special interest in tomato cultivation because it is highly profitable", he said while talking to this correspondent during a recent visit to his farm at Jalapur village.

Karim had joined Bangladesh Army in 1987. While in army, he had also worked as UN Peacekeeper in Bosnia and Croatia.

After retirement in 2002, and come back to his village home at Jalapur. He wanted to do something for his family as well as the country.

One of his brothers-- Abdur Rahim was a 'Block Supervisor of Agriculture Extension Department (AED), who knew cultivation of hybrid tomato and other vegetables. He was inspired by his brother.

Karim started tomato cultivation in a small plot of land in 2002. Fortune favoured him. He got a bumper yield.

Next year, (2003) he leased five acres of land in Kamalgonj upazila headquarter and ventured commercial cultivation of hybrid tomato. He invested Tk 7.50 lakh, the money he got as retirement benefit from army. He earned about Tk 12 lakh in about four months.

This year, he sold Tk 14 lakh tomato so far. The earnings would have been more if he could preserve tomato in a specialised cold storage, he said. A huge quantity of tomato was rotten due to lack of preservation facility and bad transportation facility, he said.

Now an agriculture expert, Karim said he will not cultivate tomato next year. Crops have to be rotated to get good yield.

He is now thinking of an agro-based processing factory because tomatoes will be plenty in supply in coming years as many farmers will cultivate tomato and other vegetables, seeing his success.

The government should come forward to help prospective investors in setting up a specialised cold storage to preserve vegetables, he said.

Farming has also earned him fame. He got the national award this year, handed over by Prime Minister Khalada Zia in Dhaka on March 5.

Karim got a silver medal, a certificate and Tk 15,000.

Karim said he inspires other farmers, particularly educated youths, in farming. Agriculture and agro-based small industries can be a regarding sectors for educated youths, which, if patronised by the government can solve the unemployment problem to a great extent and boost the country's economy.

Father of a son and a daughter, Karim said, training and supply of quality seeds is the prime need to promote agriculture ion the country.