Swineherds

Swine herding is a ancient profession. In Bangladesh, swineherds lead an unusual gipsy life with herds. Their family live in a particular place and men go out with their herd to various places to feed pigs, constantly moving and living in tents of bamboo and plastic paper. They usually stay three to four days in each place. Sometimes it might be a day or a week depending on the availability of pig-food.

They could be spotted more frequently in the past while becoming a rare scene now being merged into the mainstream society more and more everyday.

Pigs are crossing a marshy land.

Pigs are strolling around while herdsmen are taking breakfast. They are habituated although pigs are very dirty and stink.

Herdsman Jibon Chandra Das is tightening his lungi before taking their bag and baggage. Now they are leaving this place after spending 6 days.

Herdsman Guru Doyal Das is separating the piglets from the pigs before take herd for tend to nearest pasture lands and bushes where piglets cannot run with them.

Two children are beating a pig. Sometimes children are very irritating. They try to hit to pigs by stick. Some time they make pigs scattered and pigs try to run away.

An aerial view of a moving herd. Herdsman Sajib Chandra Das is tending and moving the herd to other place.

In early morning, Herdsman Lakshman Chandra Das is trying to control herd. One herdsman is sleeping inside and others went to nearest bushes for defecation.

Herdsman Nirmal Chandra Das is tending pigs in a field. He has been doing this job from 1972. He started herding in their own herd during his father’s time. Now he works in other’s herd.

A narrow muddy path between two houses of their permanent place. Their permanent houses are very congested to each other. Most of houses are made by straw and bamboo.

Herdsman Sajal Chandra Das is waiting for stop raining. Less than one hour raining almost make a flood. Water gets into their tent. Everything has been witted about and they had to sleep out of their tent.