Nomadic Bedes are Experiencing Identity Crisis and Shifting of their Traditional Habitats in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with various ethnic communities scattered throughout the nation. The nomadic Bede are an ancient ethnic group that has traditionally lived, traveled, and earned their livelihood in Bengal's riverine systems. Snake charming is one of the main ways they make money. However, most of the Bedes are changing their inheriting characteristics of riverine system to a new habitat. The purpose of the study is to identify the actual scenario of the Bede community in selected areas of Bangladesh. The study revealed that Bedes are changing their traditional way of life by moving from boats to temporary land, where they live in a small collection of huts and makeshift homes for a long time. Few of them were still engaged in their traditional occupations, such as snake charming and selling ethno-medicines; however, the majority relied on the begging in the street by bluffing the street people or make the people fool or engage with other jobs to make ends meet. Although contemporary technology has brought new sorts of entertainment, decreasing the incentive for Bede’s to work, less Bedes may have been active in snake charming as a means of continuing their parental profession. Importantly, the young generations are not interested in their nomadic Bede life and few of them are doing snake-charming and other forms of traditional entertainment for a living. The mainstream of society does not accept them cordially due to their cultural, ritual, and occupational differences. As a whole, the Bede people lived below the poverty line, making them very vulnerable in the society and experiencing an identity crisis. The Bede community requires the government and human rights organizations' help to secure their house, make it easier for them to get work, and ensure their health and education so th5at they may survive as a people in the society's mainstream. This is a preliminary study that attempted to identify the reality of the Bede community in a small representative part of Bangladesh. Future study is needed to discover more information about the Bede community that lives around the country.