On Sunday, 25 fishermen worked together to push a traditional sampan boat into the sea from the golden dunes of Ukhiya’s Sonapara Beach. As the waves lapped at the shore, the fishermen prepared to embark on their journey, a practice deeply rooted in Bangladesh’s coastal heritage.
Sampan fishermen explained that ten would board the boat to venture into the open sea. Unlike ordinary ships, the sampan has a distinct crescent-shaped bow designed to slice through powerful ocean waves easily.
In Bangladesh, there are two types of sampans—smaller ones for navigating coastal waters and larger ones built for deep-sea fishing. These boats typically range from 6 to 15 meters long, while the fishing sampans measure around 27 feet long and 9 feet wide.
As these resilient vessels disappear beyond the horizon, they carry with them the hopes of the fishermen—braving the sea to sustain their age-old tradition and livelihood.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Polash Shikdar
