An Analysis of the Influencing Factors on Dwelling Sys tem of the Fishing Community on the Bank of Karnaphuli, Chittagong, Bangladesh

The settlement pattern and dwelling sys tem reflect the socio-economic condition and cultural behaviour of the community people. The riverine fishing community is one of the ancient and special communities of Bangladesh that has a unique lifes tyle and some special features characterize their dwellings. This paper aims at explaining the exis ting dwelling sys tem of one of the eighth oldes t fishing village of Chittagong with relevant problems and identifying the factors that affect the dwelling sys tem of that fishing community. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses are used here and the data were collected from the community people through PRA methods and ques tionnaire surveys. A number of problems and some special features of the exis ting dwelling s tructures in the s tudy area are identified in this research. A relation between the socio- economic condition of the people and their dwellings is also es tablished here by explaining the influence of various factors on their dwelling. Finally, some recommendations are mentioned for improving their dwellings without adversely affecting their livelihood, culture and tradition.