Ruksana’s maiden enterprise of flower plantation in Jhikargacha’s (Jashore) Gotkhali Pushpapolli (Flower cluster) has already been widely flourished as a renowned source of flower that are supplied all over the country, even now being exported abroad. In her journey she has got Islami Bank and her industrious husband is always beside her. She became a member of RDS under Jhikargacha Branch of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited’s RDS Area No. 11 Center No. 33 in 2006. She was first granted an RDS investment of Tk 8000/= which later enhanced in annual slab’s being Tk.12,000/=, Tk. 16,000/=, Tk.20,000/=, Tk. 30,000/=, Tk.40,000/=, Tk. 50,000/=, Tk. 70,000/= and so on until recently as she now runs an investment worth Tk.2 lac.  “I am so lucky like all my neighborly village women in RDS for having this vital financial support without any security mortgage, which most of us do not have,” Ruksana acknowledges with profound gratitude to Islami Bank for not only funding support, but also for the welfare package provided under the RDS including free distribution of plants, awarding the new born babies with welcome gift, helping the meritorious children of the RDS members with stipends education and grants, waiving out dues to the widowed members, establishing schools, maqtabs, and clinics, providing tube wells and hygienic latrines etc.

Ruksana and her husband Uzzal Hossain planted rose, bely and chrysanthemum on their family owned small piece of land during Gotkhali’s initial stage of floral merchandize and became successful. Later, they arranged land from other villages either in contract farming or in annual lease and continued planting marigold, jarbara, rose, gladiolas, china belly, Gloria and many other local and foreign flowers. Ruksana’s innovative ideas always make a remarkable difference. Over the years she has acquired the expertise of planting sensitive cultivation of flowers from seed bed to the sun-protected covered sheds, fertilizers, compost manures, and pesticides etc. She understood ‘Kamini’ plants would be in huge demand for its ferny leaves to arrange bouquets of flower. So she started planting Kamini. Now their earning with this leaf plants vouch in astounding profits more than the flower.

From small weekly RDS savings her total savings together with RDS run more than Tk. 50,000/=. Despite the brokers and middlemen make a huge profit, their modest profit and regular sale on Golkhali’s wholesale flower market has enabled them to construct a  pucca house with all utilities connection and flower shop at the center of Cotkhali Bazar. Before taking this RDS investment Prior to the RDS membership Ruksana raised cattle at her courtyard and her husband had a mobile crockeries shop deranged and packed in a paddle-van that he used to vend in rural markets(hat) and ferrying across the neighborly village.

But gone are the days. Ruksana is a proud stakeholder of the weekly Taka one crore flower trade at Jhikargachha’sGotkhali flower plantation.  The sea change in income and business has all been made possible due to the RDS micro-finance. Rusksana is a committed borrower and a dedicated saver. This happy couple are, Alhamdulillah, blessed  with a son (12) and a petty daughter (3). Rusksana and her husband are now the proud owner of Nazmul Flower Enterprise at the center of Gotkhali flower market, named after their son.