Pulling Rickshaws in the City of Dhaka: A Way Out of Poverty (2025)

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Socio-Economic Condition of A Rickshaw Puller of Bangladesh-A Study on Dhaka City

jumman sani

Rickshaw is a very popular and essential transportation in Dhaka that assures signifi cant job opportunities for the uneducated and poor people. When clean Dhaka is a burning issue to us where rickshaw plays a positive role by giving pollution free services. This profession attracts huge number of poor, illiterate and unskilled persons for easy way of cash earnings. This survey is being conducted to examine the socio economic conditions of rickshaw pullers in Dhaka city. We have considered different variables to complete this survey such as rickshaw pullers' age, education, previous job, income, savings, expenditures, loans and others. This survey is being conducted based on primary data which has been collected from different areas of Dhaka city. Primary data has been collected through structured questionnaire from100 rickshaw pullers of different areas in Dhaka city. Rickshaw pullers are one of the most disadvantageous and unlucky people who are involving in informal sector such as rickshaw pulling which is more stressful work for earning money. Majority of the respondents of this survey have come from different areas of Bangladesh like Barisal, Rangpur, Comilla, Nilphamary, Mymansing and others. Among the 100 rickshaw pullers, 66% respondents were in the ages from 26-50 years and about 14% were under the ages of 26 years. However some older participants were also found in the survey. Most of the rickshaw pullers are married and their family members depend on rickshaw pulling for livelihood. Majority of the rickshaw pullers have come from the working background of agriculture and day laborers. High living cost and poverty force them to change profession and encourage them to choose rickshaw pulling to earn more money. From this survey it is found that more than 50% rickshaw pullers staying in Dhaka city with their family in rental house and remaining people select garage, mass or slum area to stay with other rickshaw pullers for saving money from rental cost. Majority of the rickshaw pullers pull rickshaw for seven days in a week, average working hours in a month is 211 hours and 53% of rickshaw pullers pulling rickshaw for 7 to 8 hours in a day. This survey shows that 76% of their total income comes from pulling rickshaw and 18% from other sources. After pulling rickshaw, they involve in other works like vendor or part time worker. Another 6% comes from other family members who are involved in as a maid or garments worker. However their net saving is only 3% and only 24% rickshaw pullers have the ability to save some money after meeting up all expenditures. They spend 78% of their total income for food and house rent. Under the balance of income issue, 57% of rickshaw pullers are staying in defi cit balance of income. To overcome defi cit balance of monthly income they give fi rst priority to borrow money from their relatives. They also borrow money from bank to meet up the expenditures. For example, to manage dowry for daughter's marriage, for crops cultivation or to build or repair home they also borrow. Repayment percentage is only 8% among the borrowers showing their inability which push them to debt trap for year after year. It can be summarized from the fi ndings that taking rickshaw pulling cannot be a permanent profession considering physical stress. It can be taken as an alternative profession when no other ways are available for them. It cannot be regarded as a permanent way of overcoming poverty.

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RICKSHAW PULLING AND CHANGE IN LIFE: A CASE OF UTTARA IN DHAKA CITY

Mishu Paul

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Socio-economic Benefits of Rickshaw-pulling with Special Reference to Income, Employment and Services: A Study in Dhaka City

Imrana Sharmin

2009

This paper is based on a study drawing on informati on from different groups of people engaged in rickshaw pulling in Dhaka city. General Objective of this study is to consider the socio-economic benefi ts of rickshaw-pulling with special reference to 'Income', 'Employment' and 'Services' in Dhaka city. Now-a-days Rickshaws are found as an efficient, versatile and sustainable form of transportation. A large number of people are directly and indirectl y engaged with this profession who are contributing to our national economy. Besid es, rickshaw pulling, the business of owning, painting, manufacturing, repair ing and renting out are also directly contributing to the economy of Bangladesh. Rickshaw pulling is crucial to employment and the socio-economic structure of Bang ladesh, especially amongst the poorest sections of society. Three ideas constitute the central message of this study. Firstly, a large number of people are generating in come by pulling ricksha...

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Unsustainable Livelihoods, Health Shocks and Urban Chronic Poverty: Rickshaw Pullers as a Case Study

SHARIFA BEGUM

Five ideas constitute the central message of this study. First, urban rickshaw pullers come from a very poor economic background consistent with the characteristics of chronic poverty. Second, rickshaw pulling provides a route of modest upward mobility for those among the rural chronic poor who come to the city for work. Third, the rickshaw pullers are susceptible to systematic health risks. Deteriorating health combined with health shocks can impose a significant burden on the urban poor, dragging down the pace of upward mobility during their lifetime. Fourth, the activity of rickshaw pulling represents an unsustainable livelihood, as the initial welfare gain tapers off with length of involvement in the sector. As longitudinal data is lacking, this story has emerged through an inductive comparison of younger, recent joiners and long duration, older rickshaw pullers, as well as current and former pullers. Fifth, intergenerational mobility of rickshaw puller households is constrained by very limited schooling and the poor range of occupational choices for children. Public policy has an important role to play in mitigating health shocks, as well as supporting targeted education for the urban poor in the informal sector, for sustainable urban poverty reduction.

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Unsustainable Livelihoods, Health Shocks and Urban Chronic Poverty: Rickshaw Pullers as a Case Study, CPRC Working Paper No. 46, PRCPB Working Paper No. 6

Sharifa Hossain

2004

Five ideas constitute the central message of this study. First, urban rickshaw pullers come from a very poor economic background consistent with the characteristics of chronic poverty. Second, rickshaw pulling provides a route of modest upward mobility for those among the rural chronic poor who come to the city for work. Third, the rickshaw pullers are susceptible to systematic health risks. Deteriorating health combined with health shocks can impose a significant burden on the urban poor, dragging down the pace of upward mobility during their lifetime. Fourth, the activity of rickshaw pulling represents an unsustainable livelihood, as the initial welfare gain tapers off with length of involvement in the sector. As longitudinal data is lacking, this story has emerged through an inductive comparison of younger, recent joiners and long duration, older rickshaw pullers, as well as current and former pullers. Fifth, intergenerational mobility of rickshaw puller households is constrained by very limited schooling and the poor range of occupational choices for children. Public policy has an important role to play in mitigating health shocks, as well as supporting targeted education for the urban poor in the informal sector, for sustainable urban poverty reduction.

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Tamima Siddika

Five key ideas constitute the central message of this report. First, urban rickshaw pullers come from a very poor economic background consistent with the characteristics of chronic poverty. Second, rickshaw pulling provides a route of modest upward mobility for those among the rural poor who come to the city looking for work and a better life. Third, the rickshaw pullers are susceptible to systematic health risks. Deteriorating health combined with health shocks can impose a significant burden on the urban poor, dragging down the pace of upward mobility during their lifetime. Fourth, the activity of rickshaw pulling represents an unsustainable livelihood. As longitudinal data is lacking, this story has emerged through an inductive comparison of younger, recent joiners and long duration, older rickshaw pullers, as well as current and former pullers. Fifth, intergenerational mobility of rickshaw puller households is constrained by very limited schooling and the poor range of occupational choices for children. Public policy has an important role to play in mitigating health shocks, as well as supporting targeted education for the urban poor in the informal sector for sustainable urban poverty reduction. The remainder of the paper provides summary evidence for each of these messages.

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Analysis of Socio-Economic Conditions of Rickshaw Pullers in the Capital City of Bangladesh

MD. J A H I D U L I S L A M RONY

European Journal of Business and Management, 2018

Rickshaw is a familiar transportation media for the people of Bangladesh. Rural immigrates lead their livelihood by pedaling rickshaw. The work has been conducted to realize the socioeconomic conditions of rickshaw pullers in Dhaka city. To prevail the socioeconomic conditions, several variables have been considered i.e.

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Rickshaw Cycle Drivers in Dhaka : Assessing Working Conditions and Livelihoods

Meheri Tamanna

2012

This paper deals with the rickshaw drivers in Dhaka, Bangladesh. They constitute a large part of the urban poor and consequently face challenges in terms of health, income, social fragmentation and crime. In addition, state and police intervention add to the vulnerability of the rickshaw drivers. In terms of livelihood, it is found that the human capital (labor, health etc.), social capital (family, patron etc.), physical/productive capital (rural land, urban shelter and rickshaw), and financial capital (income, savings etc.) are the key assets which the rickshaw drivers manage by and large. Perhaps surprisingly, this study reveals that the rickshaw drivers by carefully managing these capital assets and relationships, normally succeed in having an acceptable livelihoods.

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Socioeconomic Analysis of the Migrated Rickshaw Pullers in Comilla City of Bangladesh

Mohammad Habibullah Pulok, Nazmus Sadekin

International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, 2014

Rickshaw is very popular as a mode of transport in Bangladesh. Every year from different part of Bangladesh a large number of literate and illiterate people join the labour market. Because of the insufficient jobs in the labour market, most of these people try to find jobs in the informal sector like rickshaw pulling. This study is conducted to analyze the socioeconomic conditions of those people who are involved in the rickshaw pulling occupation in the city of Comilla, Bangladesh. The objectives of this study are to find out the causes of migration, asses the demographic status and the previous occupation and finally analysis the income-expenditure status and remitting behaviour of the migrated rickshaw pullers. 150 rickshaw pullers have been randomly selected for the study purposes. The findings of the study reveal that rickshaw pulling is an easy way of earning more money and employment but the social status of the rickshaw pullers are not satisfactory and it is not an economically sufficient way to earn the livelihood in the long run.

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Internal Migration and Employment in Bangladesh: An Economic Evaluation of Rickshaw Pulling in Dhaka City

Abu Hena Reza Hasan

Internal Migration, Urbanization and Poverty in Asia: Dynamics and Interrelationships, 2019

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Pulling Rickshaws in the City of Dhaka: A Way Out of Poverty (2025)

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