BTV “Mati O Manush” Program with Dewan Siraj: Soilless Aquaponics Fish & Vegetable Farming at BADC Kashimpur
By Md. Mamunur Reza (Assistant Program Director, APCU-BADC PARTNER & PhD Fellow)
One of the most rewarding milestones during my tenure leading controlled-environment and soilless agriculture initiatives at the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) Horticulture Development Center (HDC), Kashimpur, Gazipur was welcoming veteran agricultural broadcaster Dewan Siraj (দেওয়ান সিরাজ) and the national television crew of Bangladesh Television (BTV) — Mati O Manush (মাটি ও মানুষ) to document our recirculating Aquaponics System (মাটিবিহীন মাছ ও সবজি চাষ — অ্যাকোয়াপনিক্স পদ্ধতি).
1. How Our Closed-Loop Aquaponics Biofilter & Hydroponic System Works
In the BTV television program above, I demonstrated step-by-step how our integrated aquaponics unit combines high-density freshwater aquaculture (tilapia and indigenous fish species in a 1,500–2,000 liter tank) with soilless vegetable cultivation beds:
- Nitrification Biofiltration Cycle: Ammonia-rich fish effluent ($NH_3 / NH_4^+$) is pumped from the fish tank into gravel/brick-chip media beds colonized by beneficial nitrifying bacteria (Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter), which oxidize toxic ammonia into nitrites ($NO_2^-$) and plant-available nitrates ($NO_3^-$).
- Pesticide-Free Crop Uptake & Water Purification: Leafy greens, lettuce, mint, tomato, and summer vegetables absorb the dissolved nitrates and micronutrients directly through their root systems, returning oxygenated, purified water back to the fish tank.
- Zero Chemical Fertilizer & 90% Water Savings: Because synthetic fertilizers or toxic pesticides would harm the fish, aquaponics inherently guarantees 100% chemical-free, safe vegetables alongside harvestable protein—making it ideal for both urban rooftops and peri-urban commercial farms.
2. Companion Field Walkthroughs & Academic Inspection by Prof. A. A. Jamal
Alongside the national BTV broadcast, we recorded practical field tutorials on our YouTube channel (@mdmamunurreza7360) and playlist (BADC & Smart Irrigation Video Archive) to help farmers, students, and urban entrepreneurs build their own aquaponics units, and hosted respected academic leaders including Prof. A. A. Jamal Sir to inspect the crop performance at BADC Kashimpur:
