Pandemic brings horse-drawn carriage business to its knees

The clip-clop of horses’ hooves has disappeared, the carriages are rested out, and so is the century-old horse-drawn carriage business.

The pandemic has made a paradigm shift where people involved in the ancestral profession are struggling to make their both ends meet as

the raging pathogen has virtually put on hold weeding ceremonies, advertisement campaigns, political rallies

and celebrations of rag day and anniversaries.

Once a viable mode of transport during auspicious occasions for the elite in Dhaka, the horse-cart business is now facing an existential threat.

The owners, the drivers and the helpers associated with this mode of transport are counting days when this ordeal will go.

In the last one year and a half, the owners just saw a lackluster earning let alone making any profit.

“We used to earn Tk 50,000 to Tk 60,000 per month, but now there is hardly any income as social and cultural activities are hardly performed,” said Tuku Raja, an owner of horse cart at Fulbaria in the capital.

“It has been tough to even bear the expenses for my horses. I have to spend Tk 700 per day on them.”

There are nearly 60 horse carts in Fulbaria, Kamrangirchar, Dholaikhal and Jatrabari where nearby 1000 people are involved in the business. The sector people said they are sustaining the century-long tradition but no effective steps have been taken to keep it alive.

According to Md Manik Mia, a proprietor of City Tom Tom Service at Fulbaria, “We are hard hit by the pandemic, but the government does not even give a damn to us.”

“During the shutdown, we are continuously harassed by the city corporation men when we take the horse carriages to the streets.”

Mohammad Kallu, a horse businessman in Kamrangirchar, echoed the same as Manik.

“Most of my drivers and helpers have already switched to other profession. They are now pulling rickshaws. Providing food for horses is a really problem as there is no income,” said a frustrated Kallu.

Horses sold failing to bear rearing cost

Horse cart owners said though the pandemic has brought their business to its knees, the rearing cost of the animals has not come down. Every day, they said, at least Tk 700 is spent on per horse.

The number of carriages is declining as the profession has turned less lucrative nowadays. There were hundreds of horse-drawn carriages before 1971.

Along with other expenses, the price of horse feed is also on the rise that led to a falling interest among the horse traders as well as the businessmen associated with the horse-drawn carriages.

The use of horse-drawn carriage as transport has become limited due to the arrival of speedy motor vehicles. On the other hand, the horse carts cannot run on all roads due to prohibition in movement.

However, top breeds—such as Marwari or Multani horses—are rented out to film industry and fetch a good sum.

Horse trader Manik Mia said he has already sold 7 horses out of 13 at a cheaper rate failing to meet their rearing cost.

“I bought a horse for Tk 1 lakh and 22 thousand, but I made a sale at only Tk 68,000.

On the other hand I sold another four horses and two carts for just Tk 3 lakh and 30 thousand much lower than the market price of nearly 7 lakh,” he said.

Tuku Raja vented his frustration on this correspondent. He said: “I am involved in this business for over 20 years. I had 16 horses but it is only 5 now. It is not possible to keep up with the rise in rearing cost.”

No stables for horse

The owners said they feel shy to rear their horses in the city. Having no stables, they keep their horses beside the city streets or embankment and face harassment by the city corporation officials. Thus it is a challenge to keep the old tradition alive.

According to Tuku Raja, “We are facing a great problem about finding a certain place to keep our horses. The government frequently assures us of building a stable, but to no avail.”

In 1980, the traders used to keep their horses in Central Animal

Hospital, but that has yielded to other businesses.

Asked about the harassment by the city corporation, Farid Ahmed, chief executive officer (additional secretary) of South City Corporation, turned down the allegation. He said: “We are not harassing them. It depends on the decision of the mayor when it comes to offering accommodation facilities for horses.”

Liton Kumer Deb, associate professor, History Department, Dhaka University, it is very necessary to keep the age-old tradition alive.

“If we fail to take steps, the young generation will be deprived of knowing the history,” said the academician.