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ABSTRACT: 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.
KEYWORDS: Earnings; expenditure; migration; remittance; seasonal variations.
1 INTRODUCTION
Bangladesh is one of the most populated countries in the world where 35.2 percent of the rural people live below the poverty line[1]. Lack of assets, limited employment opportunities, high illiteracy rate and high income inequalities force many rural people to migrate to urban area for better employment opportunities, improved livelihood and better amenities. However, due to lack of education and industrial skills, these migrated rural people cannot find employment in the formal sector and other related sectors. These migrated people mostly find jobs in different informal sectors such as hotel and restaurant, petty retail trade, transport, construction and domestic services. Among these informal sector activities rickshaw pulling attracts a greater number of migrated people. The people who earn their livelihood by pulling rickshaw are called the rickshaw puller. The cycle rickshaw as a local means of transportation are widely used in major cities of the South East-Asia and South Asia particularly in Bangladesh and India for the shorter distance[2]. In Bangladesh, it gets popularity because it is safe and convenient for the shorter distance as well as the cheapest means of transportation. Though rickshaw pulling bears a symbol of poverty but...