River Gypsies in Bangladesh

River Gypsies in Bangladesh

River gypsies are an ethnic group in Bangladesh. They are known as bedey to local people. They have their own lifestyles and culture. They live in groups. They do not own any land. They live a nomadic life travelling from one place to another. They roam across our rivers and waters in small country boats. This boats are their houses. Throughout the monsoon, they remain busy with fishing. They also dive for natural pearls in waters. Men catch snakes and entertain people with snake charming and sell herbal cures. Women go from door to door sell bangles, cosmetics and many other things. They also try to heal pains of old people often by sucking out blood from their body. They are use d to water life. They inherit from their forefathers necessary life skills to survive in water. They have no education. So the authority feels the need to bring them under formal education network. Some voluntary organizations are running special schools on boats to educate river gypsy children in some areas.