Bangladesh needs a dynamic policy to tap its migrant resources for investment and foreign trade

While wondering around the city of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, or any other cities or towns of the country, one would notice some moving artworks – rickshaws – the traditional three-wheelers that carry a typical style of bright paintings on their bodies.

If one looks closely, one would find a distinct painting style and the use of colour across all forms of three-wheelers, known as the rickshaws in Bangladesh and some parts of India where they are not only part of the transportation eco-system, but also a part of culture. Rickshaws, in a way, provide the economic lifeline for people in rural and urban areas of the country – where the majority of the 170 million people can’t afford motor cars.

Rickshaw art is a moving canvas of Bangladesh – full of colour, imagination, and cultural pride. Deeply rooted in local life and recognised by UNESCO, it remains one of the country’s most distinctive artistic traditions. The similarity in the use of colour, brightness and tones appears as if all of them have been done by the same artists.

However, despite their similarities, these paintings are hand-crafted by hundreds of rickshaw painters scattered across the country’s length and breadth and the industry remains informal and fragmented. But they all create the same types of painting – often replicating the posters of popular cinemas and actors.

On these rickshaw arts, one would identify the leading heroes and heroines of Dhaka’s film industry, such as – Razzak, Kobori, Babita, Shabana, Jashim, Faruk, Wasim, Javed, etc. – of the 1970s and 1980s.

Surprisingly, none of the rickshaw artists are trained or educated artists. Most of them probably have never passed the fifth grade while others might not have set foot in the classroom. However, these ‘painters’ – mostly employed as labourers in rickshaw garages – have mastered the art of painting by just following one another, practicing and perfecting the art of rickshaw paint.

On 6 December 2023, UNESCO announced the addition of Dhaka's rickshaws and their associated artwork to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

“Regional variations in rickshaw art have been observed across Bangladesh. In Dhaka, film stars' faces are typically painted in blue or pink hues. Sylhet-area rickshaws often feature religious sayings, whilst those in Khulna commonly depict train driving or aircraft in flight. However, the practice is reportedly declining due to the emergence of motorised rickshaws and increasing costs, among other factors,” said a report.

Estimates suggest there are over one million rickshaws in Dhaka alone, with hundreds of thousands operating daily. While official figures are lower due to lack of registration for many, especially battery-powered ones, the total number of rickshaws (both pedal and electric) nationwide is vast, with Dhaka often cited as having the highest concentration globally.

More than two million rickshaws employ around 2.5 million Bangladeshis – mostly coming from rural background. Most of the rickshaws are taken on rent by the drivers who pay a daily fixed rent to the owners and keep the balance income to themselves. Sometimes one rickshaw is shared by two drivers who split the time among themselves. Some rickshaw owners deploy between 10-20 rickshaws that runs more like a rent-a-car business. More than nine million lives directly and about 20 million indirectly depend on the rickshaw industry that.

“The economic impact of rickshaws is substantial, contributing about six per cent to Bangladesh's annual gross domestic product, or about US$4.8 billion,” a recent report said. “While accurate estimates are absent, the rickshaw industry is reported to employ two to five million rickshaw pullers nationwide. However, one study estimated the number of rickshaw pullers at more than 2.2 million in Dhaka alone, which is often referred to as the rickshaw capital of the world.

“An estimated 19.6 million people indirectly relying on the sector, including pullers' families, repairers, manufacturers, owners, cycle parts vendors, and even tea stall proprietors whose primary clients consist of rickshaw pullers. In some regions, rickshaw pulling is a seasonal occupation, complementing agricultural or other work throughout the year.”

“Research suggests that rickshaws account for 34 per cent of the transport sector's total value-added, surpassing motorised road transport by more than double, and exceeding the contributions of Bangladesh Railway and Biman Bangladesh Airlines by factors of 12 and 12.5, respectively. Despite this economic significance, Bangladesh's transport policy has paradoxically favoured increased motorisation whilst discouraging non-motorised transport options,” wrote researchers Hossain, Maruf; Susilo, Yusak O, in their research paper Rickshaw Use and Social Impacts in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Hand-pulled rickshaws were introduced to Bangladesh in 1919, first appearing in the city of Chittagong after coming from neighbouring Myanmar. A few were also seen in Rangpur by 1920s.   The cycle rickshaws that became popular in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, originated from Kolkata, India. European jute exporters living in Narayanganj and Netrokona (Mymensingh) first imported the vehicle in 1938.

Salim Rashid, professor of economics at the University of Illinois, says that Dhaka was the third city in Bangladesh to have cycle rickshaws after Mymensingh and Narayanganj. According to historian Mominul Haque, a clerk from the jute company Reilly Brothers brought a rickshaw to Narayanganj from Kolkata in 1940. Haque mentions that Jadu Gopal Dutta was the first person to own a rickshaw, with the first rickshaw driver named Naresh.

Subsequently, Jadu Gopal Dutta's neighbour, Shishir Mitra, imported four rickshaws, which led to gradual imports by others. Although some hand-pulled rickshaws were imported, they were banned by the municipality due to negative reactions. The first rickshaw licence in Dhaka was issued in 1944. Chittagong followed suit in 1947.

From the early 1950s, rickshaws began to feature painted scenes from films and portraits of actors. During this period, films from both Pakistan and India were released in both countries. Consequently, the images adorning rickshaws were typically inspired by various cinema posters. During the 1960s, several municipalities, including Chuadanga, Bogra, Gulshan (Dhaka), and Habiganj, established regulations for operation and ownership of rickshaws.

Despite the increased circulation of motor cars and other types of vehicles and modes of transport, rickshaw remains one of the most popular modes of transport and they still carry the vibrant rickshaw art that looks like a moving canvas.