Cocoa, famously known as the “God-given fruit” that originated in the Amazon rainforest of South America, is now being successfully cultivated in Bangladesh — thanks to the passion and perseverance of Tapas Bardhan, a tree enthusiast from Hazrabari village in Dhanbari upazila of Tangail.
Four years ago, Tapas planted 17 cocoa trees in the garden next to his house. This year, one of the trees produced an impressive 120 fruits, from which he has already processed two kilograms of cocoa powder at home. Encouraged by the success, he has created a nursery using seeds from the harvested fruits and plans to plant over 150 cocoa trees in July.
Tapas’s cocoa journey began in 2018 with a single seed he found near Curzon Hall at Dhaka University. Although his academic background lies in pottery—he is a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Rajshahi University—his passion for nature drew him into plant cultivation, eventually leading him to cocoa farming.
“Cocoa trees are resilient and can withstand drought and heavy rains, but they are highly sensitive to waterlogging,” Tapas explained. “They’re also mostly disease-resistant and require minimal care. Although they flower year-round, the peak flowering period is from November to June, which increases the chances of fruiting throughout the year.”
The Bangladesh Agricultural Extension Department first introduced cocoa in 2014 by planting seedlings from Vietnam in Savar on an experimental basis. While the yield was promising, commercial cultivation has not yet gained momentum.
Agriculturist Nazrul Islam noted, “Bangladesh currently relies entirely on imported cocoa. Although coffee is being grown in limited quantities in some hilly regions, cocoa cultivation could offer a new commercial opportunity if approached with care.”
Tapas Bardhan’s initiative is already gaining local interest. Neighbors and nearby farmers have collected seeds from him and started planting cocoa trees. His pioneering effort may well pave the way for cocoa to become a viable new crop in Bangladesh, opening up exciting possibilities for both agriculture and entrepreneurship.
