Md. Osman Gani , Upazila Correspondent, Chandina || How much space around residential houses is left abandoned! Many keep those spaces as bushes or garbage dumps. However, with a little goodwill and hard work, it is possible to transform that neglected soil into a gold mine. A unique example of this has been set by Ramiz Uddin of Mehar village in Chandina upazila under Cumilla district. By cultivating turmeric in a small piece of abandoned land beside his house that had been lying idle for years, he is not only dreaming of changing his own fortune today but has also created a new inspiration for the people of the entire area.Ramiz Uddin’s house is located in a remote corner of Mehar village in Chandina upazila. Just beside his house, a piece of low and shaded land used to lie idle. Water would accumulate there during the monsoon, and weeds grew during the dry season. Ramiz Uddin had been thinking for quite some time about how to utilize this land, which had been unused for long. Suddenly, one day, the idea of cultivating spice crops came to his mind. Since turmeric cultivation does not require harsh sunlight and grows quite well even in slightly shaded areas, he picked up a spade and set out to prepare the land based on this idea.Initially, he cleared the weeds from the land and spaded the soil to make it loose. Then, using a small amount of money saved by himself, he collected high-quality turmeric seeds from the local market. Without relying on any chemical fertilizers, he planted the seeds using completely naturally prepared cow dung fertilizer and ash from his household kitchen. In the beginning, many looked at Ramiz Uddin's initiative with contempt. Many thought he was simply wasting labor by cultivating turmeric on abandoned, uncultivable land. However, leaving all negative comments behind, he took care of his small field with ultimate devotion from morning to evening.With the passage of time, the fruits of Ramiz Uddin's hard work have started becoming visible. Within a few weeks of planting, green leaves began to pierce through the soil. At present, the growth of the turmeric plants in his field is nothing short of satisfactory. The dark green, fresh leaves swaying in the wind seem to announce the success of his tireless efforts. Seeing the excellent growth of the plants, agricultural stakeholders and neighbors are now very optimistic.Looking at his field, Ramiz Uddin expressed his excitement, saying that he expects a very good yield of turmeric this time. The days of buying spices at high prices from the market might be coming to an end for his family. He firmly believes that after meeting his family's demands, he will be able to sell the surplus turmeric in the local market. The biggest advantage of his initiative is that the cost involved was completely nominal, but the potential for profit is very high.This incident in Mehar village proves that the soil and climate of Chandina are highly suitable for turmeric cultivation. Seeing Ramiz Uddin's silent revolution, many people from Mehar village and surrounding areas are now being inspired. Many in the village are now thinking of cultivating turmeric or other spices in this manner on the uncultivable land lying around their houses.In our country, agricultural land is constantly decreasing, yet a massive amount of space around residential houses remains neglected. If people in every corner of the country can utilize their uncultivable and abandoned land like Ramiz Uddin, it will play a significant role in increasing the overall spice production of the country. This turmeric field in Mehar village of Chandina is not just a crop field; it is a message, that with the right initiative and dedication, any abandoned place can be made fertile and promising. May Ramiz Uddin's green dream come true, and following his example, may hundreds of more Ramiz Uddins move forward on the path of sustainable agriculture, this is now the expectation of the villagers of Mehar.