From roadside flower stalls to leading landscape entrepreneur

Starting as a hobby during his student days, Rokibul Amin's interest in gardening grew into a full-time business venture named 'Gardening Bangladesh'. The company now sells flowers and indoor plants and designs landscapes. It has done over 100 landscaping projects, employing over 250 people and earning about one crore taka annually.

Rokibul went through many obstacles on his way to becoming an entrepreneur. He faced financial problems, took loans, and even lost his business at one point. But he didn't give up and used these tough times to learn and succeed. 

When he looks back at his early gardening days, Rokibul remembers how his community in Kushtia Sadar supported him, with people coming to see and appreciate his garden.

After completing his education, Rokibul experimented with various flower-related business ventures. Some met success, while others resulted in losses. The turning point came when Rokibul shifted from selling flowers to indoor plants. His outlet, Acacia, at Bashundhara City Shopping Complex, became one of the pioneers in the indoor plant business in Bangladesh.

Understanding the diverse interests of people, Rokibul diversified his business further by incorporating flower decoration and miniature landscaping at events. Rokibul's artistic representations of flowers and plants, using discarded materials like wood, metal, jute, stone, and pottery, became a hit. 

Landscaping soon led his business, witnessing a surge in sales during various occasions and corporate events.

Despite facing a financial crisis in 2016–17, Rokibul's fortunes took a positive turn in mid-2017 when he secured a significant project—designing the decoration of the Bangladesh Army Stadium. This led to the rebranding of his company from Acacia to Gardening Bangladesh in 2019.

Under Rokibul's leadership, Gardening Bangladesh has expanded its services to include landscape planning, consulting, and project implementation. The company has left its mark on various projects ranging from resorts, corporate institutions, and educational institutions to road islands, garment factories, and private houses.

Rokibul has invested more than 5 crore taka into his business. Now, his company has 26 full-time workers and many temporary ones working on different projects. The company makes over 7 lakh taka monthly, adding up to more than 84 lakh taka yearly.

According to Rokibul, the gardening and landscaping industry has potential, but there aren't enough skilled workers in the country. With a market size of around 100 crore taka, Rokibul wants to be a top player in the next five years. He focuses on training skilled workers, modernizing the nursery industry, and tapping into the vast trade opportunities in the sector.

Rokibul Amin's journey is more than just about business; it's a tale of facing challenges, being creative, and turning a passion into a successful business that has a lasting impact on the world of beautification.

[email protected]