A nomadic life with snakes: The changing world of the Bedes
Traditionally, many Bede families lived on boats along rivers and canals, while others travelled by land, temporarily settling in makeshift huts before moving on.
Sujan Mia grew up without knowing what it felt like to have a permanent home.
Like many others in the Bede community, his family moved from one place to another, staying somewhere for a month or two, sometimes longer, before packing up and leaving again. Moving was not simply a part of his childhood; it became a way of life.
"We have been moving here and there since our birth. We have no fixed destination or home. This is our tradition, and this is how it has been passed down from generation to generation," he said.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Snakes were a constant presence in Sujan's life. His family and neighbours kept several snakes, and he began playing with them from an early age. Gradually, he learned how to catch, feed and handle them. As he grew older, he learned the techniques of snake charming and began selling medicinal herbs and amulets.
For children of his generation, these were not unusual skills. They were part of growing up.
The roots of the Bede community
The word 'Bede', locally known as Baidda, is derived from the Bengali word 'Beday', meaning 'one who searches'. The origins of the Bede community, however, remain disputed. Some accounts link them to Arab Bedouin ancestry, while Banglapedia traces their roots to Myanmar's Montong tribe. Some researchers, meanwhile, connect them to nomadic groups from northern India.
Traditionally, many Bede families lived on boats along rivers and canals, while others travelled by land, temporarily settling in makeshift huts before moving on.
"We stay in a place as long as we can earn something from it. But the income is not sufficient, and it does not last for long," said Shefali Banu, a member of the community. "When there is nothing more to earn, we move to another place. That is how we survive."
"Sometimes we catch two or three snakes in a day, while on some days we do not find any. Once we have collected around 50 to 100 snakes, we sell them to registered authorities in Dhaka for antivenom production. Depending on the level of venom, we receive between Tk2,000 and Tk10,000 for each snake. The more venomous the snake, the higher the price. Then I distribute the money among the community."
Despite their nomadic lifestyle, most Bede families maintain a home area to which they return for weddings, festivals and other occasions.
Today, the largest concentration of Bedes in Bangladesh is in Savar, near Dhaka, while smaller communities are scattered across Jhenaidah, Munshiganj, Sunamganj, Gazipur, Chattogram and Feni.
Nearly all Bedes are Muslim, although folk beliefs, including reverence for a snake goddess, remain woven into their religious and cultural practices.
They generally live in groups, with a group leader taking decisions on various social matters within the community.
A livelihood built around snakes
For generations, snakes have been central to the livelihoods of Bede men.
They carry snakes in boxes and travel to villages and local haats, where people gather. There, they perform snake shows, sell medicinal herbs and amulets, and advise people on how to stay safe from snake bites.
They also catch snakes found in households, undergrowth and other places after being informed by local residents. The snakes are later sold, providing another source of income.
"Sometimes we catch two or three snakes in a day, while on some days we do not find any. Once we have collected around 50 to 100 snakes, we sell them to registered authorities in Dhaka for antivenom production. Depending on the level of venom, we receive between Tk2,000 and Tk10,000 for each snake. The more venomous the snake, the higher the price. Then I distribute the money among the community," said Anamul Sarder, a group leader in the Bede community.
Women, meanwhile, often earn a living by selling glass bangles, cosmetics, household items and other goods.
Snake-related work remains largely a male occupation, making snakes an important source of income for men in the community.
A community on the margins
For generations, the Bede community has lived on the margins of mainstream society.
As a distinct community with a nomadic way of life and its own traditions, Bedes remain socially and economically separate from many of the settled communities around them. Their constant movement and poverty often make access to education, healthcare and other basic services difficult.
At the same time, their traditional sources of income are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
Snake charming, selling medicinal herbs and amulets, and folk healing have long been part of Bede livelihoods. But as modern healthcare and medical science have advanced, demand for many of these practices has declined significantly.
"Even a decade ago, we used to find many snakes, and our business was good enough. But now, we hardly find any. The increasing use of fishing nets, the decline of brushwood, and rapid urbanisation have made it much harder to find snakes. Many of our young people have left this traditional occupation. Some now work as rickshaw pullers, garment workers, day labourers, and so on," said Rafiq Sardar, an elderly member of the community.
For many Bede families, life is changing little by little.
The younger generation is finding new ways to earn a living, while some of the practices their parents and grandparents grew up with are gradually disappearing.
The snakes may be becoming harder to find. But the more profound change is taking place within the community itself — people once defined by movement and livelihoods built around snakes are slowly searching for new ways to survive.
