Bede people
Historically, the Bedes have been involved in various forms of traditional medicine, including herbal remedies and spiritual healing practices.
Initially settling in Bikrampur, they eventually spread to remote areas of Bangladesh and even to parts of West Bengal and Assam in India.
Prior to 2008, the Bedes were denied voting rights due to their lack of land ownership and were unable to access bank loans or microcredit.
These groups share some physical traits and genetic markers, including a high percentage of Agglutinogens 'A' in their blood, which is also prevalent in Indian Subcontinents' indigenous Australasian populations and Australia's Aboriginal people.
The Bedes set out for gawal in the late Agrayan and mid-Ashar months, returning to their permanent residence after completing their trade journey by mid-Chaitra and mid-Ashwin.
Nowadays, the Bedes gather annually between Kartik 5th and Ograhayan 15th in Munshiganj and Chattogram, where they hold elections and resolve any unresolved disputes.
One piece is wrapped around the waist in a double twist, and the other is draped over the shoulder like a scarf, with fatuya or angi (loose shirt without collar) worn on the upper body.
However, many Bede men and women have increasingly adopted attire similar to that of the general Bengali people in recent times.
[5] The Bedes often organize various celebrations and festivals where marriage takes place with mutual consent between the bride and groom, along with approval from their guardians.
Finally, when the bride declares that she will support him financially for life and that he won't have to provide for her, the groom agrees to come down, and the marriage takes place.
Bede women are highly independent, and in the event of a divorce, property and even custody of children are typically divided, with the wife receiving the larger share.
They utilize wild plants, herbs, and roots as herbal treatments and heavily incorporate rituals such as incantations and charms in their healing practices.
Expert divers among the Bedes come from Tongi, Demra, and Badda in Dhaka, Saturia in Manikganj, the tea gardens of Mirzapur, and Amirabad in Comilla.
The Mal Bedes are known for their work in healing snake poison, extracting tooth worms, selling arthritis medicines, and blowing horns.
[5] The advancement of modern technology, infrastructure development, and progress in medical science has reduced the demand for traditional practices of the Bede community, such as spiritual healing, snake charming, and monkey dancing.
They lack essential rights and basic needs, including food, shelter, sanitation, health services, information, and education.
Prior to 2008, the Bedes were denied voting rights due to their lack of land ownership and were unable to access bank loans or microcredit.
[11] The younger generation of Bede is increasingly disinterested in their ancestral professions, perceiving them as offering limited prospects and social respect.
Reports suggest that many Bedes have already left their traditional way of life for more stable circumstances and are showing growing interest in education and better career opportunities.
[11] Many Bedes have been allocated permanent housing and a two-decimal plot of land through the Ashrayan Project initiated by the Bangladesh Government.
These homes were part of the Ashrayan Project’s largest Bede housing site, located near Majdia Baor in Jhenaidah district.
The novel explores the history and experiences of the Bede people in Bengal, focusing particularly on the rituals involved in a woman's transformation into a Nagini.
[15] The film Beder Meye Josna, released in 1989, tells the love story between a common Bede woman and a Prince against the disapproval of the king.
The film centers on a mute nomadic woman, identified as a "Bede," who is rescued by fishermen from a boat stranded at sea.
On September 2, Hawa premiered in 73 theaters across the United States and 13 in Canada, marking the first time a Bangladeshi film has ranked in the top 30 of the U.S. box office.
