Can we keep pedal rickshaws out of the museum?

Mainu Mahajan sat quietly at a tea stall in front of his garage. Despite running a pedal rickshaw garage for 30 years, he has never faced such a crisis. Who would have thought a day would come when he would have to put up a sign that says, "Foot rickshaws sold in instalments"?

Several dozens of his rickshaws sit idle in his garage, like a hot summer afternoon. He hopes that if he can sell some of them in instalments before they are sold for scrap, he will take less of a loss.

Some of the rickshaws are 10, or even 15 years old. Mainu bought them by saving money bit by bit, sometimes skipping breakfast and having only tea and biscuits for lunch. His heart breaks at the thought of selling these hard-earned assets for scrap. 

He has already had to sell a few that were taking up too much space. Not all the rickshaws are his; some belong to the drivers. Mainu rents the garage out to them.

Imdad and Suruj, who are cousins, still pull pedal rickshaws. They came to Dhaka 15 years ago. They used to farm in their village, but the crops often rotted in the fields. So, they came to Dhaka, bought rickshaws, and rented a room in a slum.

Since one person's income was not enough to run the household, Imdad's wife started working in a garment factory. Although they knew it was not right, they married their daughter off before she was of age to ease the family's financial burden. They are sending their son to a madrasa because it is cheaper.

The stories of rickshaw drivers' lives are almost identical. Aminul, who joined the conversation, said, "Even then, we were barely getting by. But in the last year, things have gotten so bad, I don't know what to do."

The garage is at the far end of Mirpur-7. It now houses five auto-rickshaws. Mainu earns Tk3,000 per month in garage rent from each. After deducting electricity costs, he is left with Tk12,500. This is now his primary source of income.

Raisul Islam also keeps his auto-rickshaw at this garage. He used to drive a microbus but did not like working for someone else. Eventually, he bought two auto-rickshaws. He drives one himself and rents out the other.

As people get busier, speed takes precedence over safety

Since the arrival of motorised rickshaws, finding passengers for pedal rickshaws has become difficult. Drivers earn only Tk400–500 after driving for 8–10 hours a day, and sometimes they make as little as Tk250. Out of this, Tk60–70 must be paid to the owner. Those who own their own rickshaws only have to pay a monthly garage rent of Tk500.

Drivers have daily expenses, such as tea, betel leaf, or biscuits, which can amount to Tk50. A new pedal rickshaw costs about Tk20,000 to build, but no one makes them anymore. Instead, many are converting old rickshaws into motorised ones, which costs a hefty Tk40,000. This is because four good 12-volt batteries alone cost nearly Tk30,000. A new auto-rickshaw costs between Tk70,000 and Tk100,000.

When asked why passengers do not prefer pedal rickshaws any more, Aminul said, "People are in a hurry now. Everyone wants to travel fast. A journey that takes 20 minutes in a pedal rickshaw takes only 10 minutes in a motorised one. But some people are afraid to get in motorised rickshaws because they're hard to control. And some passengers hitch a ride on a pedal rickshaw out of sympathy."

Photo: Mehedi Hasan

Mona Chandra Barman is from Itna, Kishoreganj. There is no work in the haor for six months every year. During the Baisakh rice harvest, he earns a daily wage of Tk600, but then he has to sit idle. So he came to Dhaka with his family. He lives in the Kalapani area of Mirpur, paying Tk4,000 in rent. Food costs Tk8,000 a month, garage rent is Tk500, and medicine costs around Tk1,000.

Mona drives his own pedal rickshaw. He now has to spend two more hours on the road than before just to earn enough for a meal. The hood of his rickshaw is torn and the seat is ripped, but he cannot afford to fix them.

Nasar Ali, who also drives a motorised rickshaw, was having tea near the Mirpur Indoor Stadium next to Mona. In his opinion, "These rickshaws should be removed from the road. They are risky. But passengers like them. People are very busy now. They don't pay attention to their lives to save time. When I'm on the road, I don't pay attention either. I want to go before everyone else, even before CNGs."

A little further away, we met with Sabuj Mia, who also drives a motorised rickshaw. He bought his second-hand rickshaw for Tk50,000 about a year ago. He has since replaced two batteries, which cost him another Tk6,000.

He said that a good battery can run all day on a single charge, covering about 120 kilometres. He travels from Mirpur to Lalbagh or Banshal, charging Tk200–250 for the fare. This angers CNG drivers, who charge no less than Tk400 for the same distance. The high earnings often lead to conflicts between CNG and motorised rickshaw drivers, which is further fueled by the resentment of pedal rickshaw drivers.

Motorised rickshaws' toll on the body

We met Aminuddin, a motorised rickshaw driver, in front of the Ladies Club in Eskaton. He drove a pedal rickshaw for almost 20 years and has been driving a motorised one for three months. However, he is thinking of going back to the pedal rickshaw.

This is because motorised rickshaws are illegal, and the police seize them. There is also the fear of theft. The biggest problem, however, is that his health is deteriorating. His gut protrudes now, and his body is no longer as fit as it used to be.

"There are 18 lakh motorised rickshaws running in Dhaka now. Everyone is bringing them out however they can. There is income. You can make Tk1,000-1,200 a day. After paying the owner's share [Tk450 daily], Tk500-600 is left in hand."

The owner of his rickshaw is a pharmaceutical company dealer. He had to sign an agreement stating that he is responsible for any damage to the rickshaw. Aminuddin does not want to deal with all this hassle anymore, so he wants to return to a pedal rickshaw.

Mohsin and Sujauddin, both motorised rickshaw drivers, were chatting in front of the Holy Family Hospital. They said, "Ever since we started driving motorised rickshaws, we've lost our appetite. If we have bread in the morning, we don't feel hungry for rice all day. But before, we used to eat two or two and a half plates of rice for lunch. The problem is that 90% of passengers prefer motorised rickshaws. Only a few elderly people wait for a pedal rickshaw because they are not in a hurry."

In Haider Ali's garage in Eskaton, we met Mohammed Rubel Mia. The 70-year-old has been driving a rickshaw for 50 years. He drives with one hand despite his left hand being paralysed and has never had an accident. He has a family of three and no savings or land. He thought he would somehow manage, but the arrival of auto-rickshaws has left him worried.

"Motorised rickshaws should be removed from the road. They are risky. But passengers like them. People are very busy now. They care more about saving time than their lives. When I'm on the road, I don't pay attention either. I want to go before everyone else, even before CNGs."

Nasar Ali, motorised rickshaw driver

The types of rickshaws

"What are the types of rickshaws?" – a few years ago, this question would have been laughable. Back then, pedal rickshaws created a rhythm with their "tring-tring" sound on the streets of Dhaka. Lovers would stroll around university areas, enjoying the breeze. Many would rent a rickshaw by the hour to enjoy the rain.

The rickshaws had faces of cinema heroes and heroines painted on them and glittering ribbons on their hoods. There was little fear of accidents. Today, all of that is becoming a memory. If this continues, pedal rickshaws may one day only exist in museums, and people will buy tickets to see them.

When asked if it was possible to stop the problem, CNG driver Shahin Molla suggested that motorised rickshaws be brought under government policy, with their movement restricted to specific areas. He proposed introducing separate uniforms for each area so drivers can be easily identified if they cross boundaries, alongside imposing appropriate taxes and providing proper training. He further stressed that motorised rickshaws should not be allowed on main roads or used for long journeys.

Shahin said, "If these are implemented, we will survive, and pedal rickshaws will also survive. My daily deposit is Tk1,200, gas costs Tk500, and food and other expenses cost Tk400. I take home whatever is left. I can't even rest one day a week. In the evenings, the dominance of motorised rickshaws increases. They carry passengers from Sadarghat to Uttara or Mirpur and even go on flyovers. At that point, we have no chance of getting passengers."

Motorised rickshaws come in five-seater, three-seater, and two-seater varieties. The deposit varies by type. The three-seater rickshaw is affectionately called a "bou rickshaw" (bride rickshaw) because of its conical hood.

Ali Mia, a fellow CNG driver, said, "We are in a state of starvation now. Do we pay the owner's deposit or run our family? We don't get any passengers on short routes like Shahbagh to Dhanmondi or Motijheel to Bailey Road. The autos also get in the way on long routes. We also have to survive, but what can we do?"

Who is investing in auto-rickshaws?

Previously, mechanics and owners invested in rickshaws. Now, professionals from other fields are also involved. Police, contractors, doctors, pharmaceutical company dealers, unemployed people returning from abroad, and consumer goods traders are all investing in motorised rickshaws.

The owner of the motorised rickshaw driven by Mohsin, whom we met in front of Holy Family Hospital, is an intelligence officer. He and his brother own 12 rickshaws. 

Another of Mohsin's acquaintances, a doctor at the Bardem Hospital, has already brought 10 rickshaws onto the road and plans to have 100. He has even rented a garage for this purpose. This shows that people with extra money are investing in motorised rickshaws.

The state of rickshaw painting

Bangladeshi hand-painted rickshaw art is renowned abroad. The old body makers and rickshaw painters now work on motorised rickshaws and earn more than before.

Rickshaw painting was once very popular in the country. Photo: Mehedi Hasan

However, the subject matter of the paintings has changed. Motorised rickshaws now feature images of development, such as the Padma Bridge and the Metro Rail. Rural scenes are also visible. Many rickshaws are also using digitally printed pictures.

Meanwhile, world-famous researchers like Henry Glassie and Joanna Kirkpatrick have researched hand-painted rickshaw art. According to a research paper by Asma Ferdousi, a curator at the Bangladesh National Museum, the peak of rickshaw painting was the 1980s.

Veteran artist Hanif Pappu started painting with the film 'Nishan,' released in 1978. From 1981 to 1984, the heroine Rojina's 'Sultana Daku' became immensely popular. Scenes from films like 'Barud,' 'Rongbaz,' 'Nosib,' 'Dushmon,' 'Alif Laila,' and 'Chhutir Ghonta' also gained popularity in rickshaw art.

The devastating flood of 1988 also became a popular subject of rickshaw art. The British Museum exhibited a rickshaw from its collection and appealed for help for the flood victims. During the coronavirus pandemic, rickshaw painters used messages of awareness like "Stay at Home".

But now, the number of rickshaw artists has decreased in Dhaka and across the country. As good rickshaw art is expensive, customers are opting for digital boards.

This article was originally written and published in Bangla. Translated by Anonno Afroz.