Bangladesh’s Wooden Boat Builders Race Against Time as Tradition Fades
KHULNA, Bangladesh, March 20, 2026 — Along the muddy banks of the Kopotakkho River, the sound of hammers echoes across the water. Men in lungis balance on half-finished hulls, applying tar and replacing rotten planks. The annual golpata (nypa palm) harvest season began this month in the Sundarbans, and for a few weeks each year, Bangladesh's wooden boat-building tradition comes briefly back to life.But for how much longer? Rough hands craft ships that sail toward the horizon. A Compressed HarvestThe bawalis—traditional forest-dependent collectors who venture into the world's largest mangrove forest to harvest golpata—are preparing for a compressed 28-day season…
