BENAPOLE: Once a small rural marketplace, Gourinathpur Bazar in Maheshpur upazila of Jhenaidah has developed into one of the country's busiest trading hubs for dragon fruit.
Driven by booming trade in the exotic fruit, the market now houses more than 100 wholesale depots, supplying dragon fruit to markets across Bangladesh.
Traders say daily transactions during the peak season average between Tk 10 million and Tk 15 million (Tk 1 crore and Tk 1.5 crore) while the growth of the market has created employment opportunities for several thousand local people.
According to local sources, dragon fruit cultivation has expanded rapidly across Jhenaidah district in recent years, alongside rising consumer demand nationwide.
A visit to the market shows farmers arriving from morning until evening with freshly harvested dragon fruit. Piles of red, pink and yellow varieties fill the market as wholesalers sort, weigh and pack the fruit under their sheds before dispatching it to different parts of the country. Traders and farmers say the bustling scene is repeated almost every day throughout the harvesting season.
From Gourinathpur Bazar, truckloads of dragon fruit are transported to Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barishal, Rangpur and other districts.
Shariful Islam, a local farmer, said he cultivates dragon fruit on five bighas of land. "After harvesting, we can easily bring our produce to this market and sell it. It has reduced transportation costs and the risk of spoilage. We carry the fruit by battery-powered vans, bicycles and sacks," he said.
Wholesale trader Saidur Rahman said large quantities of dragon fruit arrive at the market every day during the harvesting season. "Buyers from different districts come here to purchase directly. Farmers receive fair prices, and we are also able to run our businesses profitably," he said.
Another wholesaler, Saeed Sarker, said traders from outside the district can conduct business in the market without difficulty.
"On average, dragon fruit worth Tk 10 million to Tk15 million is traded here every day. The fruit is supplied to major cities including Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet. Prices vary depending on size and quality," he added.
Jakir Hossain, a student who works as an accountant at one of the wholesale depots, said the market has generated significant employment opportunities."Alongside my studies, I earn Tk15,000 to Tk 18,000 a month working at the depot. Separate workers are employed for weighing and packaging the fruit, and most of them earn around Tk 12,000 to Tk 15,000 per month," he said.
Abdus Samad, a wholesale fruit trader from Natore, said he regularly visits Gourinathpur Bazar to buy dragon fruit. The business environment and security here are satisfactory.
Maheshpur Upazila Agriculture Officer Yasmin Sultana said the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) is providing farmers with regular training and technical support to ensure safe production practices.
"We are working to improve the market's marketing system and ensure farmers receive fair prices for their produce," she said.
According to the DAE, dragon fruit was cultivated on about 1,129 hectares of land across Jhenaidah during the 2024-25 season, producing approximately 36,182 tonnes.
Of the total cultivated area, 25 hectares were in Sadar upazila, 439 hectares in Kotchandpur, 316 hectares in Maheshpur, 328 hectares in Kaliganj, six hectares in Harinakunda and 15 hectares in Shailkupa.
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