Bangladesh, a north-eastern Asian country, is riverine country of estimated 174 million.
Bangladesh has a gypsy people who have no home on the land, but live and move on the
river waters. Their earning is by catching snakes, performing snake charming, and selling
herbal medicines, amulets and trinkets etc. to the people on the land. The population of
these river gypsies, also known as the Bede people (বেদে), was reported to be around one
million according to a source of 2011. These people live on river-beds in their traditional
house-boats, and move from place to place in these boats.
River gypsies are an ethnic group in Bangladesh. They have their own lifestyles and culture.
Bangladeshi gypsy community mostly live in Porabari, Savar and Dakatia River in Chandpur
Sadar district. In all, they are found in Porabari, Amorpur and Kanconpur villages at Savar
(these three villages jointly called the Bedepalli at Savar), a slum behind the East West
University at Rampura, Dakatia in Chandpur Saddar, and at Tarabo in Narayanganj City.
Many Bede are mainly illiterate and poverty-stricken, supporting themselves as snake
charmers, traditional medicine practitioners, and by selling medicinal herbs and amulets.
However, over the years the demand for their services have declined and they were forced
to diversify their livelihoods by such employment as rickshaw pulling, working in mills and
factories, and small entrepreneurial businesses. Some Bede were educated and took
different jobs in urban centres. Some researches on this community also highlighted the
women’s important role in Bede culture and examined their empowerment. The findings
shed light on the Bede community’s socio-economic challenges, such as limited access to
healthcare and educational opportunities, and underline the need to preserve their cultural
heritage, while dealing with issues that affect their way of life and overall well-being. It has
been found that the Bede community, is a comparatively understudied nomadic people in
Bangladesh.
It is found by the researchers that 20-39 ages are maximum, and they are almost 70
percent. In this age most of them (10%) are related to the catching fish. In the age of 35-39
(7%) of respondents are related to selling of bangles and trinkets. Snake catcher are found
(7%) also in the age of 30-34. on the other hand, other respondents are related to snake
charming, monkey show, business and snake catching professions. (Reference.
International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources)
The gypsies mostly earn their livelihood as snake charmers. Every day the people, mostly
women, of their community spread out in different areas of the capital and adjoining villages
to earn their livelihood by demonstrating their skills as snake charmers. A large number of
Bedes live on snake related trading e.g. snake catching and snake selling.
Bedes do not have any kind of formal education and they do not use medical facilities. Most
of them speak Bengali. Most of them are Muslim but also practice Hinduism, Shamanism
and Animism along with Islam. They are related to other South Asian nomadic groups, such
as the Dom and Buno people.
The Bedes won the right to vote only in 2008. Before that, they were unable to vote as they
did not have voter identification cards. Bedes had once been highly regarded in Bangladeshi
society, but their status declined as the country has modernised over the past 60 years.
98 percent of Bedes live below the poverty line, 95 percent are illiterate, and children are
married at age 11 on average. The average size of a Bangladeshi household is 4.4 but it
is 7.5 for Bedes.
Bedes are caught in a tug-of-war between passion for heritage and abject poverty – to
continue or let go their ancestral craftsmanship.

A local non-profit organization, Subarnogram Foundation, has set up a school on a boat.
Inside, 15 students recite English rhymes, learn arithmetic and the Bengali language.
(Reference: Aljazeera report)