How many bananas can a single stalk hold at most? While 100 to 200 is the usual expectation, a rare species of banana plant has been found in Barlekha, Moulvibazar, bearing more than 1,000 bananas on a single stalk. Curious visitors are flocking to the orchard every day to see the roughly 7-foot-long stalk.
The unusual banana plant was found in the orchard of Rezaul Karim Khandaker, a teacher and hobbyist farmer, in the Office Bazar area of South Shahbazpur union, Barlekha upazila, Moulvibazar.
According to agriculturists, this rare variety is known in Bangladesh as “hazari kola” (thousand banana). Internationally, it is known as the “thousand finger banana.” This banana variety is found in Southeast Asian regions including the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia, where its stalk typically grows 7 to 12 feet long.
Farmer Rezaul Karim Khandaker said that from a single sapling of this variety he obtained from Munim Siddiqui of Kamalganj, his orchard now has eight saplings. About a month ago, one plant produced a flower bud, and the stalk quickly began to grow. It currently measures about 7 feet, and he expects it may grow even longer, potentially up to 12 feet.
Because the stalk bears so many bananas, bamboo poles have been used to support the plant so it doesn’t collapse under the weight. While some bananas near the top of the stalk are edible, those toward the bottom are very small and not fit for eating. They resemble champa bananas in appearance.
Rezaul Karim Khandaker said: “About a month ago, the banana stalk emerged on the plant. It has been growing larger day by day. It’s now about 7 feet long and drooping toward the ground. It has more than 1,000 bananas on it. Some at the top are edible, but the ones lower down are very small.”
He added: “A banana stalk like this isn’t commonly seen. This type of banana can be used in two ways — for eating, and as an ornamental plant to enhance beauty.”
Rezaul Karim’s hobby orchard is home to more than just the thousand-finger banana — it also features a rich collection of rare domestic and foreign fruits. The orchard includes about 50 varieties of foreign mango, 20 varieties of grapes, 10 varieties of oranges and malta, seven varieties of dragon fruit, African peach, Turkish mulberry, longan, miracle berry and various other domestic and foreign fruit and timber trees. Visitors to the orchard say they are astonished to see the stalk drooping closer to the ground every day.
Visitor Khairul Islam said: “I was amazed to see the thousand finger banana. The plant has produced a banana stalk 7-8 feet long. It’s covered from top to bottom with thousands of bananas. It looked absolutely beautiful.”
Another visitor, Saiful Islam, said: “I came to the orchard after hearing about the long banana stalk. I’ve never seen such a huge banana stalk in my life.”
Barlekha Upazila Agriculture Officer, agriculturist Md. Monowar Hossain, said: “This is an extremely rare species of banana in Bangladesh. With proper care, the stalk could grow even larger. It’s both edible and highly effective as a way to enhance a home’s beauty.” He added: “This banana species is known abroad as the thousand finger banana. With the right care, this banana stalk could grow even bigger.”