'Rickshaw capital' sees first ever rickshaw festival

Dhaka, known as the 'rickshaw capital of the world', saw its first ever Rickshaw Festival on Saturday.

Approximately 400,000 cycle-powered rickshaws run in the capital each day. However, increasing traffic congestion and resulting collisions have led to their ban on many of Dhaka's major roads.

Some fear a total ban in the city before long, putting an end to a century-old tradition.

"The festival is meant to promote this environment-friendly vehicle, and the rickshaw-pulling community, that caters to a vast majority of people in the country," said Sara Siddiq, CEO of Bangladesh Changemakers, the festival organisers.

"It is also meant to raise the profile of Bangladeshi heritage and culture," she told bdnews24.com.

Children and adults thronged the colourful day-long event at New Colony Field in Lalmatia.

Two public universities, including Dhaka University, and 15 private universities also assisted in hosting the programme, which included rickshaw pullers presenting traditional song and dance and showcased the rickshaw painters' famously elaborate and colourful illustrations.

It also allowed festival goers to try their own hand at rickshaw art and take part in rickshaw races.

Most of them said they would be extremely sad if their favourite vehicle were banned from the streets of Dhaka.

"The rickshaw is the middle class's favourite vehicle, and pollution-free," said one rickshaw lover.

Giving no names, one young couple declared there was nothing to compare to taking a romantic rickshaw ride with a loved one!

Mushfira Mahfuza, mother of three and a half year-old Tuli, said: "We rushed to the site on hearing of the rickshaw festival."

"We have no car. Luckily, my daughter is a rickshaw worm, loves to ride on rickshaws."

"Though it must be very hard to pull a rickshaw for a living," she added.

Rickshaw puller, Saiful Islam, says: "I feel free in this profession."

Having studied only up to Class 10, he said, "I chose this profession as it gave me an income for little capital."

He said he was satisfied with his daily take of Tk 200-300.

But some rickshaw pullers said their daily income had fallen in Dhaka over past years as many streets became "VIP only".

They also feared the government might ban rickshaws totally in the capital in the near future.

Modern cycle-powered rickshaws began running in Dhaka in the 1930s, though the festival organisers say hand-pulled rickshaws first made an appearance in the 1870s.

Japanese sources often cite 1868 for the invention of the hand-drawn rickshaw, inspired by the horse carriages that had been introduced to the streets of Tokyo shortly before.

Siddiq said her organisation planned to make the Rickshaw Festival a regular event in Dhaka. It was also mulling hosting such festivals abroad, she added.