Water Gypsies

Nobody know exactly how many gypsies live around the world, or where is their origins but it is told that gypsy are “a laborer who moves from place to place as demanded by employment; "itinerant traders"; they are believed to have originated in northern India but now are living on all continents (but mostly in Europe, North Africa, and North America)

Bangladesh lays roughly between 20º 34' and 26º 38' North Latitude and 88º 1' and 98º 41' East Longitude. It has an area of 1, 47,570 sq. km. (56,977 sq. mile). Bangladesh is situated on the north-eastern side of the South Asian Subcontinent. The long southern coastline along the Bay of Bengal shares the Indian Ocean with India and Myanmar. It is bordered on the West by India (West Bengal) and on East by India (Mizoram) and Myanmar. On the north of Bangladesh lies India (Assam and Meghalaya).
The hills of Sylhet and those in the hill districts of Bandarban, Rangamati & Khagrachari are mostly low hills covered with green forests. The plain land of Bangladesh lies is cress-crossed by a web of rivers which is a unique topographical feature. The important rivers are the Padma, the Meghna, the Jamuna and the Brahmaputra.

Along these rivers and around the country, lives the tribe of “Bedey”. The tribe is distinct from other Bangle /and their life style and their works have separated them from others.

Bedeys are water gypsies who travel and live in the boats. The histories of these Bedeys are not known to people, but there are literatures from 17th century which mentions this tribe. According to some elders the Bedey people have been residing in this region for more than 700 years. No one knows how many Bedey exists in Bangladesh today, but it is estimated that the population exceed 2000,000.

Save The Humanity and Embrasure Films, Inc. are working for the development of Bedey community of Bangladesh.