Members of the Bede (gypsy) community here are demanding government facilities meant for fishermen and permanent residences on land so that they can send their children to school. These people have been living in boats for generations. During a recent visit to Bhola Sadar's Hetnar Haat area on the bank of the Meghna, some gypsy community members told this correspondent that they live in boats on the river as they are totally dependent on fishing with small nets for their livelihood.

Gypsy women Rokey, 35, Yeasmin Begum, 40, and Julekha , 45, said that they are enlisted as professional fishermen and entitled to government assistance. But they are not getting rice and other facilities given to fishermen during the months when fishing is banned, they alleged.

The fisheries ministry sanctions rice and funds so that women of fishermen families can become self-employed.

However, these gypsy community members allege that they do not get anything from the fisheries department.

Hafsa, 45, and Nur Banu, 50, said that they live in a sub-human condition and find it difficult to arrange two square meals a day when the fishing ban is on because they are denied the government facilities they are entitled to.

They also said they are tired of living on the river and want the government to provide them homes in a cluster village. If that happens, most of them hope to send their children to school or madrashas.

Gypsy leader Alam Majhi, 50, said that there are over 1,000 gypsy families in the district. They live in boats, but now want to live in houses and send their children to school and madrashas to study.

Nurul Islam and Shaju Majhi said their forefathers used to live on land, but erosion caused by the Meghna and the Tetulia had forced them to take up their present profession. When contacted, Nurul Islam Munshi, president of the Bhola District Small Matsajibi Samity, told this correspondent they are in touch with the local administration to ensure food and other facilities for all fishermen communities, including gypsies. District fisheries officer said that as the gypsy members were enlisted as fishermen, he would try to ensure they got the facilities ,eant for them.  Dhania union parishad chairman Kabir Mia said he would ask the higher authorities to construct cluster villages for the gypsy community in his union.