The lost legacy of Chittagong’s wooden boats

In the middle ages, Chittagong was famous all over the world – for the towering boats it made that voyaged into the deep seas and fended off the great tides.

Merchants from as far as Turkey, Egypt and even Germany used to sail to the banks of Karnaphuli to get a hand on the big wooden boats hand carved there.

In course of time, as steel and iron replaced wood, the great craftsmanship of the once famous wooden shipbuilding industry faded away – but not completely.

A handful of crafters have still kept the art alive – barely – at the banks of Karnaphuli, making smaller boats for local fishermen who sail at night into the sea.