Unexplored Dhaka

Destiny Riders:
Rickshaw-pullers of Dhaka

Munaf M Chowdhury
Photos by Salman Saeed

SCORCHING heat, screeching noise, nothing stops the rickshawpullers from taking us to our destinations. I went out with my friend Salman Saeed to explore the simple lives of these destiny riders. The spot where the pictures have been taken is Gulistan; one of the busiest spots of the capital.

Mohammed Alauddin, a rickshawpuller, shared some of his grievance that he has everyday. He works spending all the fluid of his body to see a little happiness on the faces of his family. But his low earning, more than often, makes him a failure at that. He wishes to do something with his life that will give him the privilege of seeing a smile on his kids' face. He has three kids, all of who wander around the streets all day. He really wants to ensure good education for them, but is unable to. I was quite impressed on his thoughts for providing education for his kids. He said he sees all the girls studying and working these days and wishes to see his little daughter, Jochona becoming a working girl.

Ali Hossain, another rickshawpuller is happier with his family life. But he is often saddened when the passengers mistreat him, especially the teenage people. He wishes that he could learn to drive a car, become a taxi driver and speed his way through the traffic.

These are only petite stories of the life of these destiny riders. They take us to our destinies everyday, but their own destiny seems hazy to them. If you want to read more such stories, log onto my blog munafchowdhury.wordpress.com and share your thoughts. In the meantime, have a safe destiny ride with these destiny riders.

(Student of Media and Communication Independent University, Bangladesh)