Hunters by profession

Fishing is common in pastoral Bangladesh. For a country where people are so fanatical about fish, it comes as no surprise. Even you may have thrown the thread with bait once in a while. But beyond angling, and beyond occasional recreational fishing, there are hunters who hunt to live.These are the real fisherman, part of a profession almost as old as mankind itself. For those born and brought up in Bangladesh, romanticised notions of fishermen and life at sea are ever-present. In our imaginations, we have turned these fishermen into heroes, feeding us and fighting for us as and when needed.Part of the fantasy stems from the strange mystical and surreal environment fishermen are found in. Be it lakes, ponds, rivers or the sea; the air is refreshing, with an invigorating smell coming from the water. The surroundings are always breathtaking -- a gigantic sky above our head remains caged in the surface of the water. And in the night, there is pitch darkness, and darkness only. There is a bizarre bliss in remoteness, one of contemplation. But only a few have experienced the haunting embrace of this atmosphere.
Learning about the fisherman's life, one encounters a number of interesting trivia. How they fish, how they mark their own areas, what skills one must have and where it is done, are all information we may have taken for granted. But beyond the simplicity lies a greater depth, like shallow water leading one to the deepest part of the ocean.