Rivers have been an attention of human activities throughout the history. The livelihood of people is essentially dependent on river and its resources in Bangladesh, but the story of river gypsies is totally different. River gypsies are an ethnic group in Bangladesh. They are known as "water gypsies" or "bedey" to local people. They have their own lifestyles and culture. This paper focuses on the Bangladeshi gypsy community living in Porabari, Savar and Dakatia River in Chandpur Sadar district. This study investigated the gypsies identity in the society and status in the community level and also explore their existing entitlements, need and social rights, and finally examine the problem and threats they frequently face for living an unstable condition in the society. Both primary and secondary data are used in this study. A questionnaire survey and focus group discussion (FGD) are conducted in the study area. Besides these data some secondary data is also used in this study. The major empirical findings are: a) In Bangladesh context day by day river gypsies lost their culture; b) One of the major problems in bedey community is water and sanitation, in Chandpur Sadar district 260-280 families (approximately 500-600 people) use only 4 kacha toilets by sharing. They are directly drinking the river water by using potassium aluminium sulphate (KAl (SO 4) 2); c) About their own opinion they use the river water to clean, cook, bath and drink and they have no land; d) They want their domestic culture, but the problem is they do not want to roam in the river and jungle because their traditional professions losing their demand. Now they want to transform their occupation and many of them runs grocery shop in Porabari; e) More than 96 percent of bedes are illiterate and they are living below the poverty line, only 3 percent bedey children got the opportunity to be vaccinated against vaccine preventable deadly diseases; f) In Chandpur Sadar district most of the bedes are enlisted in the voter list but the scenario of Savar Porabari are totally different. Most of the Bedes still could not enlist themselves in the voter list. This research demonstrates the overall lifestyle of gypsy community in the study area. At present they are facing many problems, due to rapid urbanization and drying out the rivers, many of them changing their profession. Government and NGOs should take some initiatives to support them for protect their culture and also need to provide them an environment friendly living place.
Very nice