Horse carts becoming popular in Gaibandha char areas
Locals use them to carry agri products
OUR CORRESPONDENT | Thursday, 15 February 2024
GAIBANDHA, Feb 14: Horse carts are the only reliable means for transportation in char areas of Gaibandha district as roads have not got a complete facelift in the remote localities.
Sources said the people of four upazilas in Gaibandha surrounded by rivers are facing many difficulties in communication.
The only means for transportation of agricultural products is horse carts whose drivers run the vehicles at a risk of their lives.
As a result, horse carts are playing a special role in carrying agricultural products, they added.
Many areas of four upazilas - Gaibandha Sadar, Sundarganj, Saghata, Phulchhari - have been isolated due to the drying of Teesta, Brahmaputra and Yamuna rivers.
No vehicles ply in 165 chars, including Khatiamari, Jigabari, Pepulia, Gabgachi, Galna, Jiadanga, Satarkandi, Rasulpur, Phulchari, Tengrakandi, Kunderpara, Char North Kholabari, Baje Phulchhari and Char Kalasona.
There are more than 800 horse carts plying in the char areas of the district.
For this reason, nearly 04 lakh people living in these pastures walk miles on sandy roads to travel to different places.
At the same time, they have to carry agricultural products produced in these areas on their own shoulders. Around 800 families have become self-reliant by driving horse carts.
The rivers are drying up day by day due to the impacts from climate change.
During the dry season, only sand is visible. Char people have invented horse carts to maintain their livelihood. It has reduced human sufferings a lot. So, now you don't have to walk on hot sand and cross a long path.
At the same time, the difficulty of bringing products to market has been removed.
Mojibur Rahman of Khatiamari Char in Phulchari upazila, who brings agricultural products by horse cart, said, "We have no roads in char areas. So, horse carts are now our only hope."
Horse cart driver Md Amirul Islam said, "Each of horse cart drivers earns Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,500 on Saturday and Tuesday haat days. Our daily earnings are 700 to 800."
Horse feed costs Tk 300 to 350 every day, he added.