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Independent University, Bangladesh

Submitted to Mr. Manzurul Mannan (Lecturer) School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Submitted by Sajal karmaker

I D# 072038

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The Boat and Boat Builders Introduction: Boat the most popular means of transport in Bangladesh. The boat is an ancient, low-

cost, and suitable mode of transport in the floodplains, especially in haors and baors.

There are more than 150 types of boats. They vary in size, design and construction and

serve a host of purposes. Bangladesh is also a land of rivers. Bangladesh consists of

more than 250 rivers. On that time water, transportation was the main transportation.

There was no road transportation. So that we were, depend on our boats. Our

civilization, our business spot all are depended on and grew up by water

transportation. There was one of the major ways to boat. So that boats are related to

our cultural, society, civilization, existence and our economy. The synonymous or

dialect word of boat is Bengal word “Nouka”. In Bangladesh, there were different

types of Boat and Nouka and there had different aspects and activities. We had many

boats like – Ghashi, Jong, Gachari, Dorakha, Malar, Patam, Panshi, Bhedi, Dingi,

Ubori, Kosha, Kathami, etc. They were used as different purposes like – small rowing

boats, Cnoes, Dugots; Dinghies etc are used in rural areas for transporting people,

private belongings and crops especially in the monsoon season. In addition, these

boats are used for crying passengers and for ferrying people across the rivers. Over all

boats are related to our tradition and religion.

The name and number of country Boats: Every boat has different aspects and different activities. Depending on different

aspects and activities, we had huge number of boats. The Bengali boats name was

interesting like- Sampan, Balam, Jali, Teddy balam, Ghashi, Donga, Gudara,Doni,

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Jong, Kosha, Pansi, Patam, Bhedi, Bachari, Raptani, Dingi, Palowary, Ubori, Militari

Kosha, Dorokha, Dhairol, Kathami etc. The two most attempts had been taken to

estimate the number of country boats. The first survey of 1961 showed that the

number of boats, of all size and categories, at 300,000. Among of 300,000, there were

68,000 were commercially – operated cargo – carrying boats. The second survey of

1974 showed that 63,300 boats were used for cargo – carrying boats. Rest of the boats

are used in rural areas for transporting people, private belongings and crops especially

in the monsoon season and also these boats are used for crying passengers and fishing

in coastal and offshore waters. Many such boats as well as boats in commercial

operation and fishing are now indigenously fitted with engines of shallow tubewells.

The large commercially operated cargo boats include types such as sampan, balam.

Teddy balam, trawler and jali. These are now mostly power driven.

The different physical characteristics of country Boats: Every single boat has its own characteristic. And the characteristic depends on boats

actives like – those boats which are often go to sea, those boats which are used for

carrying people, those boats which used for agricultural purposes and among these all

are different

Characteristics from others.

1. Sea – going country Boats:

Depending on weather, the boats are found in different classification. Some boats are

only used for sea and these boats are called as sea – going country boat. These boats

are found mainly in the Chittagong and Cox’s-bazar area. They are specially designed

for rough weather and strong winds. This sea – going boats most routes is Chittagong,

Dhaka, Narayanganj and Chandpur.

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There are five main types of commercially – operated cargo – carrying boats are...

- Sampan - Balam - Teddy balam - Trawler - Jali.

Sampan: The sampan is easily noticeable because of its flat stem with two horns. These horns

form the framework of the bamboo roof, which protects the helmsman. Sampan boat is

specially use for carrying salt from the sea. The sampan is a giant boat, which made

with wood.

Balam: The balams are in Greenhill’s words “no more than greatly enlarged versions of the

simple canoe”. Day by day, this types of boat becoming rare and it seems that it only

built at Sundip. Balam is also used for carrying salt from the sea.

Teddy balam: The teddy balam is same as Balam. Teddy balm indicates something modern or fancy.

Jail: The tiddy balm look a lot like the jali, both having pointed stern, compared with the

flat stern of the balam.

Trawler:

Finally we got a modern boat which is not used by oar it was mechanized ocean –

going fishing boats fitted with an in – board diesel engine. Still body is used to build

trawler.

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Mentioning all these are play an important role in transporting crude salt from the salt

fields to the mills. These boats also carrying Varity of other goods like – timber,

cement, consumes goods etc.

2. Inland water country boats: Inland waters refers to the water body consist of rivers, Hour, Bour, etc. There were

different types of inland boats in Bangladesh depending on their different activities.

They had a great variation depending on water. Still few boats are available in

Bangladesh. The inland water country boats are... Ghashi, jong, Kosha, pansi, Patam,

Ubori, Bhedi, Malar, Bachari, palowari, Donga, Gudara, Doni, Dingi etc.

Ghashi: Ghashi is dominated by Lakhya River. Ghashi is a middle-sized boat in the range of

75 to 700 maunds capacity and the average capacity is 237 maunds. The ghashi is

making by wood. Generally, it running as a straight and it almost submerges when

heavily loaded. Ghashi boat, which plied on Lakhya River, which mainly carried

fruits, and vegetables. Ghashi has a roof of woven bamboo, which is rounded and

covers from half to almost the whole length of the body. It was a fast moving vehicles

and it carried consumer goods. Nevertheless, it has no rudder. The ghashi is mainly

found in Dhaka district.

Jong: Jong is the second important inland water boat. Jong was the boat of Lakha. The

district of this type is the Old Brahmnputra river basin in the district of Mymensingh

and Jamalpur. There are only posssible outlets, and they can reach the Meghna to

southeast and the Jamuna to northeast. Mainly Jongs are used as jute boats. They are

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larger then the ghasis, and it range was 300 to 1000 mandus. Jong is mainly found in

Mymensingh.

Ubori: Ubri, which is the derivative of the word Ubora that in Bengali means to rehire. It is

the small righter that was the prominent for the Dhaka, Mymensing areas. Uboni was

mainly used to assist in loading and unloading of boat and it carried industrious

materials.

Goina: Goina was one of the fascinating and exclusive boats. It is used for carrying

passengers. There were different types of goinas. Most goinas shaped look like ghashi.

It has a complete deck or floor covered by bamboo for the passenger safety.

Bidira: Bidira is also used for carrying passengers. This types of boat used by the Zaminders

and the purposes was tax collecting. Today this boat is used by holy pirs when

collecting donations from their followers. In these way I think its relates to our

religion.

Bachari: Bachari’s design is vigorous and heavy construction. It is mainly sued for transporting

heavy materials like – timber, firewood, agriculture products, sand etc. In Bachari

boats, there has a shelter. Boats man and traders mainly took rest. This boats walls are

attractively decorated usually with piece of aluminum. This boats are found in Barisal

District. It has huge average capacity (374). Malar:

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It is a large boats of the Pabna district. The design is similar to the Jong and Palowari.

Malar is more strongeer than Jong and Palowari. This boat is different diierent from

other because of deep draught. Malar is a giant boat because its average capacity is

almost 2500 to 3000 maunds. It is mainly used to carry jute from Bera of Nakalia to

Narayanganj. For this reason, malar also called Nakalia boat.

Mentioning all these boats are mainly dominated by Lakhya River.

The Boat builders and boat building materials: The boat carpenters played the directed role to our river, Culture, as they own self

built the boats that are prevalent on the rivers. Boat builders made boats depends on

the wave, wind flow, depth of water etc. Each boat had different shape because of

maintaining the balance in the wave. Boat builders were mainly from the Sudra casts

of Hindus. In this way, we are introduced with casts. Boat builders are usually use to

wood and materials to make boat. Wood is the main material of boat building. Boat

builders made boats depends on the wave, wind flow, depth of water etc. Each boat

had different shape because of maintaining the balance in the wave. The most

important boat – buildings areas as Pabna, Tangail, Manikjgonj, and Bajitpur. The important boat building materials are... 1. Bamboo, 2. Wood, 3. Iron etc.

Bamboo: Bamboo is only product, which is used in almost every country boats. Bamboo is

considered as a blessing of Bangladesh. Bamboo is available all over Bangladesh.

Even traders are often importing bamboo from surplus ares and sedn it by river on

large rafts, during the monsoon season. Especially bamboo is used for mats and oars.

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It is also used for making the woven bamboo mats, which are used as roofing.

Moreover, it is traditionally made by low-cast Hindus. We here are cast system.

Bamboo is available in Chittagong, Khulna, and Barisal.

Wood: In earlier time, wood is considered as a major product to built boats. It is used for the

hull, for the masts, rudder, oars, and the roofs. In ancient time, quantity of wood and

quality of wood depends on amount of money available for boat construction.

Different types of wood are used for making boat like – Sundari and Koroi wood is

used for large and heavy boats. Other species like – Gajari, Zarail, Kathal, Jam, Am

(mango), Shilkoroi is also used for other country boats.

Iron: Because of modernization and different purpose, we are engaged with Iron. Depending

on different activities, Iron is used to build country boats. Jute carrying boats, sand

carrying boats, industrial materials carrying boats etc are necessarily to make with

Iron. Anchor is also necessary for Iron made boats. Now almost every boats use diesel

and it need to Iron to built container. In contrast to other iron products, anchor is not

available in the local market and boat owners look for a good anchor because without

good anchor boat is incomplete. In these way, we are in introduced with Iron.

The influence of Boat on our Economy: Boats also reflect our economical life. We are economically developed by our country

boat because in ancient time we had no alternative transportation. In ancient Bengal,

there were three means of production – agriculture, arts, and crafts and trade and

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commerce. There is a great relationship between agriculture, river and Bengal boats.

Agriculture was chief source of Bengal wealth; still it is chief source of Bengal wealth.

The export of agriculture and manufactured goods by boats as a result in an increase in

production and influx or new wealth from outside. Ancient Bengal is agriculturally

developed because of rivers. Bengal’s major products were cotton and skill textiles.

Which were export as far Egypt and Rome by boat? In these way boats help to our

economy. The roll that the country boat played on our economy was directly

supported by the carpenters by making the boats. Therefore, the carpenters deserve a

great role on economy.

Conclusion: Now a days the construction of new boat is decaling. Presently new boats are usually

built by rich traders who use them to transport the commodities in which they trade.

The decline of the country boat will obviously effect the employment an income

efficiency through mechanization has done adverse affect on boats. So far improving

the efficiency and profitability of country boat operations must be placed in the

context of informed decision – making on transport and linked to broader issue of

development strategy.

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RREEFFEERREENNCCEESS

Jansen, E et.al (1989). The country boat of Bangladesh. Social and Economic Development and Decision-making in inland water Transport. University Press Ltd.: Dhaka

Ray, Niharranjan (1994). History of the Bengali People. Orient Longman: Calcutta