A way to live with dignity
A way to live with dignity
As many as 1300 people are engaged in providing motorcycle rides to people for rent in different areas of the district.
The provision, introduced a couple of years ago, has made communication especially in rural areas easy while a large number of youths, many of them earlier engaged in anti-social activities, have changed their life through the trade.
"Returning home after losing everything abroad two years ago, I took an illegal job in Dhaka for maintaining my family. Now I am living with dignity, earning by giving motorbike rides for rent,” said Jahangir of Galua in Rajapur upazila.
“The work earns me Tk 600 to 1,000 daily,” said a motorbike rider in Jhalakathi town, who was earlier known as a local delinquent.
“I attend my classes in morning and earn by giving motorbike rides in the afternoon. It helps to maintain my study expenditure as well as bear the cost of treatment of my sick father,” said Nayeem, a student of Suhrawardy College, Pirojpur.
Introduction of motorbike rides for rent has made communication in rural areas easy as village roads are not suitable for most other vehicles, said Moniruzzaman, chairman of Rajapur upazila parishad.
Several bike riders, however, alleged harassment by policemen on roads.
Md Majid Ali, superintendent of police of Jhalakathi, said law enforcers have to stop and check the rented bikes to prevent their use for criminal purposes.
“A good number of unemployed youths are now self employed with bike riding. However, they need to proper training for smooth and safe movement with passengers,” said Mizanur Rahaman, assistant director of Youth Development Centre, Jhalakathi.