The fleet of river boats in Bangladesh is the largest in the world. This fact is, to a great extent, explained by the geography of the country, which is the biggest deltaic plain on the planet, sheltering the most densely populated nation. While the sea boats from the Bay of Bengal adopted exotic styles due to the influences of foreign traders, the wooden river boats evolved in shapes and forms free from foreign influence to more than 40 types of vessels.
Until recently the rivers of Bangladesh had thousands of wooden sail boats including Balam, Patham, Malar, Bajra, Panshi, Kosha, and many more, transporting people and goods across the country. The introduction of diesel-powered steel vessels have diminished the presence of traditional boats on the rivers in the last two decades. As not one large wooden boat is being built anymore, along with the boats, thousands of years old technology that have been passed from generation to generation is on the verge of being lost, changing the lives and expectations of the families involved in the art and ritual of boat-building.
Friendship’s cultural preservation project strives not just to conserve this heritage but also to adapt it and find new uses for boats that facilitate socioeconomic and cultural development. It is also important for us to solidify our knowledge and understanding of the boat-building tradition, conserving and researching further, and also to promote this art and technology internationally.
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Travelling Exhibition |
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Model Boats |
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Living Museum |
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Research and Development |