How Dhaka’s rickshaw pullers bear a hidden health toll

At dawn, when Dhaka is just beginning to stir, thousands of
rickshaw pullers set off on their daily grind. Their cycle rickshaws ferry
millions across the capital each day, keeping the city moving. Yet these human
engines of Dhaka's transportation system endure a punishing existence: inhaling
toxic air, labouring under searing heat, and driving their bodies to
exhaustion. Behind their contribution to urban life lies a silent health crisis
that goes largely unseen, unheard, and unaddressed.
From rural roots to urban struggle
Most rickshaw pullers are rural migrants, drawn to Dhaka by
poverty, displacement, or the hope of a better life. With little education or
training, rickshaw pulling becomes one of the few options for survival.
According to Ariful Islam Nadim, General Secretary of the Rickshaw, Van, Easy
Bike Labourer Union, the city is home to nearly one million auto-rickshaw and
60,000–80,000 paddle rickshaw pullers.
Their battle is not only against Dhaka's chaotic traffic
but also against broken bodies, empty stomachs, and a system that refuses to
acknowledge them.
Poisoned air
Dhaka consistently ranks among the most polluted cities in
the world. For rickshaw pullers, who spend 10–12 hours a day exposed to traffic
fumes, the risks are severe.
Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, of Stamford University's
Department of Environmental Science, describes them as "among the top two
or three most vulnerable groups in Dhaka." He notes that migration to the
city results in health deterioration by 77 percent, and with age, rickshaw
pullers lose up to 50 percent of their lung capacity.
Rickshaw pulling is physically gruelling. Prolonged
exertion under extreme heat leaves pullers at risk of dehydration, heatstroke,
and musculoskeletal disorders. A 2021 survey by Prime Asia University, led by
Dr Rumana Rashid, found that nearly half of rickshaw pullers suffered from
joint pain, 46 percent from headaches, and over 40 percent from fever.
Only 38 percent manage to drink more than three litres of
water daily, and access to clean water remains a privilege rather than a right.
Dr Rashid adds: As they age, they cannot work the same
hours, so the family loses even the bare minimum security. Out of desperation,
they return to the streets, and the cycle of suffering continues.
Unable to cope with relentless physical strain, many turn
to tobacco, alcohol, or other stimulants—short-term escapes from long-term
misery.
Poverty and Malnutrition
Malnutrition and poverty form a vicious trap. Rickshaw
pullers often subsist on rice with vegetables or curry, with eggs a couple of
times a week and meat perhaps once.
Take the story of 75-year-old Md Shiraj, who has been
pulling rickshaws for 35 years around Motijheel. Earning Tk 500–600 a day, he
eats twice daily and suffers from untreated abdominal disease. Yet, he
continues to pedal, compelled by duty to provide for his family.
Surveys confirm that their dietary habits remain dominated
by rice, with little nutritional diversity. Spending long hours on the streets,
many fall back on cheap junk food, further compromising their health. Excluded
from formal healthcare, they often rely on pharmacies, while preventable
diseases—diarrhoea, hepatitis, and other infections—spread unchecked.
Trapped by exploitation
Beyond health, economic exploitation further weakens
rickshaw pullers' lives. Many rent their vehicles from garages under
exploitative terms. "The garage rental system is one-sided," says AKM
Nasim, Country Director of the Labour Law Institute and member of the Labour
Reform Commission. "The rates are fixed by garage owners, and pullers have
no say. If they cannot pay, they lose their rickshaw."
Abandoned by the system
Perhaps the most brutal aspect of this crisis is the
absence of protection. Rickshaw pullers fall outside Bangladesh's 2006 Labour
Law, which covers only the formal sector. As Nasim points out, "Like 85
percent of informal workers, rickshaw pullers have no legal safeguards.
Policymakers ignore them because their economic contribution is undervalued and
they lack political representation."
Even their unions face repression. Nadim of the Rickshaw,
Van, Easy Bike Labourer Union recalls, "Before July of last year, our
members were under constant attack, lawsuits, and extortion by political
leaders. These problems are returning, and we are powerless to resist. The
government must bring these workers under regulation."
Searching for solutions
Despite the bleakness, there are glimmers of hope.
The Labour Reform Commission, meanwhile, is pushing to
extend labour protections to the informal sector, while union leaders continue
to demand formal recognition. "Without legal coverage, rickshaw pullers
will remain trapped in exploitation," stresses Nasim.
Dr Kamruzzaman suggests creating dedicated lanes for
non-motorised vehicles to reduce occupational hazards. He stresses the need for
licensing, training, and health support systems. "Policies are meaningless
without implementation," he warns.
Dr Rashid recalls a low-cost nutritional innovation
developed during her tenure at the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research: a powdered vegetable mix designed for labourers like
rickshaw pullers and garment workers. Though the project stalled, she urges the
food industry to revisit such ideas to improve workers' diets.
An invisible crisis
Rickshaw pullers embody resilience. They power Dhaka's
daily life, yet remain invisible in its policy landscape. Their labour builds
the city's mobility, but their bodies and health are left to crumble.
Dhaka's air poisons their lungs. Heat batters their
strength. Poverty robs their nutrition. And the state denies them protection.
If Bangladesh is serious about inclusive development, it
cannot afford to overlook this silent health emergency. Recognising rickshaw
pullers as workers, extending legal coverage, ensuring access to healthcare,
and investing in nutrition are not acts of charity—they are matters of justice.
















