Traditional wooden wheel making industry faces extinction

The familiar clattering sound of carpenters at work has disappeared. Until a few years ago, the sound of wooden wheels being made could be heard from almost every household in Palideha and Arambaria villages of Sara Union in Ishwardi.

The local craftsmen’s quarter used to remain bustling with customers and traders.

Today, however, silence has replaced that vibrancy. The traditional wheel-making industry, once a thriving rural trade, is now on the verge of extinction due to the growing dominance of modern vehicles.

There was a time when bullock and buffalo carts were the principal means of transporting people and goods in rural Bengal. Responding to the demand for wheels for these carts, a thriving wooden wheel-making industry developed in Palideha and Arambaria of Sara Union in Ishwardi.

The wooden wheels made there for bullock, buffalo and horse carts were once highly sought after in different parts of the country.

The wheels were supplied to Bhairab, Gazipur, Sylhet and Dhaka, among other areas. They were also transported by train from Ishwardi Junction and Azimnagar railway stations to different parts of the country.

A visit to the area found that most of the wheel-making workshops in Gouripur and Palideha have now closed. A large portion of the once-famous craftsmen’s quarter has also been swallowed by erosion of the Padma River.

Local craftsmen and traders said that 30 to 40 years ago, there were more than 50 wheel-making workshops in the area. Now, only a handful remain. According to them, around 40 to 50 craftsmen are still somehow keeping the traditional trade alive.

Hame Malitha, 65, a wheel-maker from Arambaria, has been struggling to preserve his ancestral profession. He said, “Once there were around 700 workshops in Arambaria and Palideha. About 600 pairs of wheels were produced every day.

More than a thousand people depended on this industry. Now only 20 to 25 workshops remain in the entire area. A workshop can produce at most one pair of wheels a day.”

He added, “Four generations of our family have been involved in wheel-making. But my son did not take up the profession. He works in a garment factory. If this continues, this craft will not survive into the next generation.”

Badar Uddin, 65, a bullock-cart driver from Laxmikunda, said, “I have been driving buffalo carts for nearly 40 years. The price of wheels is increasing day by day.

A pair of wheels can last for two to three years. But people no longer want to use bullock or buffalo carts because they want to save time. Pickups, Nasimons and Karimons have taken their place.”

The craftsmen said the prices of babla wood and other materials used to make the wheels have increased significantly. At the same time, demand for wooden wheels has declined sharply.

As a result, most workshops have closed due to falling production and sales. Young people are also no longer interested in taking up the profession. Many have left their ancestral occupation for jobs in the garment sector, business and other professions.

Local residents said transportation and communication systems have changed dramatically over time. Motorised vehicles have become increasingly common even in rural areas because they offer faster and easier transportation.

As the use of bullock and buffalo carts has declined, so has the demand for wooden wheels. Consequently, this traditional craft, passed down through generations, is gradually disappearing.