Futuredesh: Pioneering Ethical Investment in Bangladeshi Agriculture

Founded in early 2023 by Sajjadur Aziz Malik, known as “Raindrop Man” Futuredesh was born after nearly 12 months of travel between the UK and Bangladesh. Malik’s vision was to create a meaningful link between British Bangladeshis and their homeland, providing an opportunity for expats to engage with rural farmers in Bangladesh through micro contract farming.

“I wanted to do something that would connect British Bangladeshis to Bangladesh – to have expats engaged with the country,” says Malik. This desire led to the establishment of Futuredesh, which aims to bridge the gap between expat investors and Bangladeshi farmers by creating wealth for both parties in an ethical, halal manner. The venture operates as a social capital initiative, focusing on the betterment of farming communities while simultaneously offering a lucrative opportunity for investors.

Initially, the concept was centred on creating an investment platform for passive income generators, but Malik soon realised the potential for making a larger, more profound impact. “Agriculture in Bangladesh is unorganised,” he notes. Unlike India, Bangladesh lacks subsidies like the Minimum Support Price (MSP), as well as the agricultural support systems present in the UK, Europe, and the USA. Farmers in Bangladesh are often left to fend for themselves, competing in the global market without government safety nets. Despite these challenges, Malik was impressed by their resilience, recognising that with the right support and better organization, Bangladeshi farmers could achieve even greater heights. “With just a bit of assistance, they could transform Bangladesh into the ‘breadbasket of South Asia, if not the world’.”

Bangladesh’s fertile land is one of its greatest assets, where crops grow abundantly with minimal input. With this in mind, Malik and his team set out to structure the engagement with farmers in a way that would be easy to recruit, train, and manage. The team decided to base their approach on Bangladesh’s Thana administrative structure, a well-established system that made local engagement smoother.

Futuredesh’s pilot project began by focusing on the Greater Sylhet region, home to many of the UK’s non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs), and Mymensingh, an area less prone to flash flooding. In Dhaka, they established their headquarters in the Mohammedpur district, where Malik and his team, including regional heads Mohammed Asaduzzaman and Zamirul Haque, led the groundwork. Together, they identified four Thana clusters in each region and recruited four Cluster Managers from the local communities. These managers became instrumental in the success of the project, taking responsibility for organising and training farmers.

A significant amount of time and resources were devoted to creating a comprehensive farmer’s pack, training manual, and a mobile app designed to help manage operations both digitally and traditionally. Though the app was still in trial during the writing of this article, it had already shown promise in enhancing management efficiency. All team members and Cluster Managers underwent extensive training before being tasked with recruiting 45 farmers each for their respective clusters. These farmers also received training from Cluster Managers, experts, and regional heads.

The recruitment and training process was no small feat, taking eight trips between the UK and Bangladesh over 17 months to bring the project to its current scale. The CEO, Zabin, and the Head of Operations, Rony, played crucial roles in this endeavour, conducting fieldwork, village outreach, and house-to-house consultations to ensure the success of the initiative.

One of the key lessons learned during this period was the importance of engaging local stakeholders. In Bangladesh, a project of this scale cannot simply be implemented without first building a strong network of supporters within the community. Futuredesh held numerous village meetings with local and regional leaders to explain the project, gather feedback, and secure the backing needed to move forward.

Through these efforts, Futuredesh’s vision and ambition have come into sharp focus. The goal is to create the largest network of contract farming clusters in Bangladesh, with shared ownership that benefits both the investor and the farmer. Futuredesh’s aspirations go beyond farming; the venture aims to launch its own farm-to-shop retail outlets, providing produce directly to consumers. They also seek to improve the wellbeing of farmers by offering free healthcare, education for their children, and fostering long-term development.

The project has also taken on environmental challenges head-on, with the launch of the “My Village Project.” This initiative aims to plant trees, introduce irrigation systems, establish sustainable energy sources, and turn Bangladesh into a model for climate-resilient economies.

Futuredesh’s first trial took place in Dularbazar Union, Sylhet. In June 2024, they officially launched their first phase in Laxmipur, Mymensingh. Plans to expand to Mullahpara and Dewkolosh Unions in Sylhet were delayed due to flash floods. After the floods subsided, the country was hit with student protests, a regime change, and further annual flooding, causing delays to the project. Despite these challenges, the team has learned valuable lessons about risk management and adaptability. By August 2024, work resumed, and farmers began receiving cattle to rear as part of the contract farming model.

The core operation of Futuredesh is centred on managing investment funds from UK-based expats. These investors provide the capital to purchase cattle, which are then given to farmers under a 12-month contract. During this time, the Cluster Managers monitor the farmers, provide veterinary support when needed, and report progress to investors. At the end of the contract period, the cattle are sold, and the profits are shared equally between the farmer and the investor. Futuredesh takes a small percentage of the investor’s profit, which is then distributed among the core team and the Cluster Managers.

As the project gains momentum, Futuredesh is actively seeking new investors to partner with. The model is built on transparency, ethics, and halal principles, offering expat investors a unique opportunity to support sustainable agriculture in Bangladesh while generating a passive income.

In conclusion, Futuredesh represents a bold step towards the transformation of Bangladeshi agriculture. With a clear vision, innovative solutions, and a strong commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, Malik and his team are poised to make a lasting impact on both rural farming communities and expat investors alike.