The livelihood of porters at Dhaka鈥檚 Sadarghat launch terminal is at stake as the terminal has lost its hustle and bustle since the opening of the Padma Bridge in June 2022.
Since the launch of the multi-purpose bridge across the Padma River, the number of passengers at the terminal on the River Buriganga has plunged, hitting hard the incomes of the porters at the terminal.
Previously, people from the country鈥檚 south-western districts relied almost entirely on river transports for their journey to the capital Dhaka and the terminal had been the gateway to the city.
But the Padma Bridge, which links the southwest of the country to the northern and eastern regions, has altered the situation, with many now preferring bus journey using the bridge to save time.
Nowadays, many porters can be seen sitting idly for hours at the Sadarghat launch terminal, waiting for work that rarely comes, forcing the porters to struggle for survival.
For porter Raju Shikder of Barishal, Sadarghat has been home for the past 15鈥�16 years.
鈥楤efore the Padma Bridge was opened, I used to earn Tk 1,000-1,200 a day. Now I hardly earn Tk 300-400 a day,鈥� he said. 鈥業t鈥檚 hard to run a family on this income, but I cannot leave this place. Half of my life has been spent here.鈥�
Jahangir Mia from Kuakata said, 鈥楽ome days we manage a little, some days nothing at all.鈥�
鈥楲ife was better before,鈥� said Milon of Keraniganj. 鈥楴ow we can only manage rice and lentils. I even had to send my elder daughter to her grandfather鈥檚 house because I cannot pay her school fees anymore.鈥�
Masum Billah, supervisor of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, said the number of blue uniform porters under their control had dropped from 70鈥�75 to 25鈥�30.
鈥榃ith fewer passengers, incomes have dropped. Many porters have left the profession for other jobs,鈥� he added.
Monir Hossain, who keeps records of the yellow-uniform porters, said that three years ago about 300鈥�320 porters worked here, now only 90鈥�100 remained.
鈥楾heir daily income has dropped from Tk 800鈥�1,000 to just Tk 200鈥�300. It is not enough to live on,鈥� he said.
The number of active launches on Dhaka鈥檚 43 river routes has fallen from 210 to 170.
Of these, only 37 routes remain operational from the Sadarghat launch terminal, according to the BIWTA.
Some, like Ali Hossain, have left for good. After 35 years as a porter, Ali quit two years ago. Now he drives an auto-rickshaw at Keraniganj in Dhaka and earns Tk聽1,000 a day. 鈥楲ife is better now,鈥� he said, referring to his income as an auto-rickshaw driver.
The Dhaka city, which is about 400 years old, has grown on the bank of the River Buriganga. For centuries, goods and people have entered the city through this river. The Sadarghat terminal had acted as the gateway and centring around the terminal, an entire economy of porters, vendors and boatmen had flourished.
Now the Padma Bridge has redrawn the map of movement and commerce. Faster road transport has saved time, but it has also left behind people whose livelihoods are tied to the terminal.
