Bangladesh’s first community-based agro-tourism project, Sukher Khamar Agro Limited, unveiled the design of its planned agro-resort in Bogura on Friday and handed over land purchase deeds to more than 150 partners.

The design was unveiled at a ceremony at the 13th Asian Tourism Fair 2026 at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in the capital.

Singer and music director Milon Mahmud attended the event as chief guest. Sukher Khamar Agro Limited Chairman Md Tasdikh Habib and Managing Director Jobayer Islam, along with partners from home and abroad, tourism entrepreneurs and well-wishers, were also present.

The project, located in Bagail village of Kahaloo upazila in Bogura, will feature a 100-room agro-resort with a restaurant, convention hall, swimming pool and boating facilities.

An integrated agricultural farm, a 400-cattle dairy farm, a fish farm, goat and sheep farms, a 1-megawatt solar power plant, a biogas plant and a mosque with a Hafizia orphanage madrasa will also be established on the site.

Organisers said earthwork and road construction have already been completed, while full-scale construction is scheduled to begin in October.

The project is being implemented under a Sharia-based musharaka model. More than 1,000 people from 21 countries and 42 districts have already joined the project as partners, with land registered in their respective names.

The organisers first handed over land deeds to partners at a “Founder’s Night” event on 25 July. On Friday, more than 150 additional partners received their deeds.

Speaking at the event, Chairman Md Tasdikh Habib said farmers in Bangladesh often do not receive fair prices for their produce, while agro-tourism could create an additional source of income by allowing them to sell experiences alongside agricultural products.

He said smart agriculture could become a major driver of Bangladesh’s future development, describing Sukher Khamar as an example of the approach.

Managing Director Jobayer Islam said the company had made a commitment a year ago and was now demonstrating its progress.

He said the farm had already hosted more than 2,000 visitors and generated roughly Tk1 crore in economic activity in a single village.

Sukher Khamar Agro Village has also created direct employment for 41 people in Bagail village and helped 10 women become self-reliant entrepreneurs, according to the organisers.

The company plans to establish eight Sukher Khamar Agro Villages across the country’s eight divisions by 2035.

Agro-tourism involves visitors staying on farms, participating in agricultural activities and experiencing rural life. It has developed into an established tourism segment in countries including Italy, Japan, Thailand and India’s Kerala.

According to IMARC Group, the global agro-tourism market was valued at more than $81 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $209 billion by 2034, growing at around 11 percent annually.

The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that tourism contributed around Tk1.02 lakh crore to Bangladesh’s GDP in 2023.

Sukher Khamar Agro Village describes itself as a community-based agro-tourism project in which members of the public become part-owners through shares. According to the company, shareholders are entitled to a share of profits from 15 revenue streams, an annual free family stay at the resort and discounts on farm products.

The project is located about 12 kilometres from Bogura town and around four hours by road from Dhaka.