The trips south are on the boats of others. Three other men travel with him and they go from Chilmari to Dhaka and Narayanganj. The trips can last three weeks and he earns about 800 to 1,000 taka on each trip. His daily earnings as a fisherman are meagre in Chilmari: about 50 to 70 taka.

His gaunt, dark wizened features tell of struggle. But times were good in Assam. His face lights up when he speaks. ‘We used to get work from the mahajans and local contractors. We never had a problem with work. At the end of the day, the total catch was shared by the contractor and us. We travelled during the season, September to December, but often we also stayed on.’

How much did they earn?

Four to five times whatever they were earning now in Bangladesh. ‘Usually about 100 to 150 rupees every day; we used to save money, bring it back and spend it here. Nowadays, it’s miserable.’

As we talked, a young man dropped by. He appeared interested by the conversation. Keramat Bhai greeted him and introduced me. He didn’t volunteer the man’s name. The man was visiting Bepari Para from another nearby village. That was nothing out of the ordinary. What was extraordinary was that he ‘actually’ come from a long way. ‘He’s come from Sadiya,’ Keramat Bhai announced, watching my face for its inevitable look of surprise. Sadiya is in Assam and although that bustling river port was buried by the Great Assam Earthquake of 1950, the area is still known by that name. In fact, it is not too far along the Brahmaputra from Pasighat.

‘Part of it is Kundil Ghat now,’ I said. The visitor nodded vigorously and then said in Assamese that he had been there more than a year and was planning to return the following week. This was strictly a trip to visit family and friends.

How long did it take to come?

‘Three days by boat and bus,’ he said nonchalantly.

And when had he arrived here?

Another smile. ‘Yesterday.’

With that bit of laconic information, the man stood up and left.

It’s that simple to get across, even though Keramat Bhai and his older friends say that security is tighter at the border. It is also not as if everyone who goes across settles over there. They return to their homes from time to time. The village almost appears to be a kind of R&R (Rest and Recreation) Centre for veterans from the fighting front. One would not be surprised if both sexual activity and pregnancies go up at this time.