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Rikshaw Paintings in Dhaka

Cycle rickshaws are the most popular modes of transport in Bangladesh and are available for hire throughout the country including the capital city Dhaka, known as the "Rickshaw Capital of the World". Approximately 400,000 cycle rickshaws run each day on the capital city Dhaka.. Initially, they were undecorated, but starting in the late 1940s, the faces of movie stars began appearing as decorative motifs on shields at the back of the rickshaws along with a variety of floral paintings, landscapes, historical places and daily way of life of the country. Even sometimes this painting goes one step further, it includes popular and prominent world leaders photo.This living pop art culture of Bangladesh is done by illiterate rickshaw artists. They learn their techniques by living with Ustad ( master ) from boyhood. They do not have copyrights, even most of case do not mentioned name in art also. But in the back of rickshaw generally having mark of maker with bold steel pin, for example - " Fazlu Mistri ".Now a days the rickshaw art and artist are in 'struggle of existence'. The third and fourth generations artists are not interested to this art, do not feel pride because of low income of dollar two to three a day and recognition. Dhaka, Bangladesh on January 15 2017. (Photo by Khandaker Azizur Rahman Sumon/NurPhoto)

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