Bangladesh Rickshaw Pullers’ Lives After The Cyclone

The famous Bangladesh Rickshaw Pullers in Bangladesh became popular because of their unique designs and pleasant service. But the life of Nasir Howlader's cycle rickshaw changed after a cyclone attacked Bangladesh's rice fields. Howlader is one among the plenty rickshaw pullers in the place but his vehicle's parts were scattered after the cyclone attacked.

Dodge tonneau covers were not part of the lot but according to the rickshaw puller, he just finished paying for the vehicle weeks after the Sidr struck. Rickshaw pulling was also his source of livelihood. And without it, he will not know what to expect in the future.

"I scoured the fields and found a few parts but I've given up now because it's one month; somebody has probably found the other pieces and sold them to the iron shops," the rickshaw puller said after he discovered what happened to his rickshaw.

"In any case, they are not repairable so I will have to take out another loan and start again," added Howlader, at 32, who is living on the badly affected Patuakhali district, about 190 kilometres (120 miles) south of capital Dhaka.

To some people, this is not a great issue but to simple beings like him, this is a major disaster. Bangladesh is regarded as one among the poorest countries in the world with 40 percent of the 144 million population scraping through life on around a dollar a day.

It has been years before he was able to own his rickshaw and before he rented this particular vehicle to survive through life. Now, he is looking forward to moving on and is looking for another source of living.