How mobile phones ‘killed’ the board game-makers
Ludu has been a popular board game in Bangladesh for a long time, and it continues to be popular. But there has been a profound change now that the app-based Ludu game has become widely popular, displacing the once much-loved traditional board-based Ludu
Traditional Ludu board manufacturers are increasingly losing their existence in the face of the digitization of the game. PHOTO: NOOR-A-ALAM
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Traditional Ludu board manufacturers are increasingly losing their existence in the face of the digitization of the game. PHOTO: NOOR-A-ALAM
Four employees of Kader Ludu Factory worked quietly on the third floor of a century-old building in Chhoto Katra, Old Dhaka.
Chhoto Katra is a maze, and navigating it to locate the Ludu factory took us a long time. A few meters down the narrow alley – buildings and shops towering over them – the shop operates from a rented room in the old building.
Its wooden steps were crumbly and untidy – we hesitated, wondering if they would support our weight. The smell emanating from the surrounding darkness indicated the presence of a rat habitat in the area.
Ruhul Amin, the manager of Kader Ludu, has been working here for the last 25 years and witnessed the peak years of Kader Ludu. He now presides over the business in its decline.
“Once more than 25 people would have worked here day and night. Now we have only four people, including me. Even five years ago we were supplying more than 2,500 pieces of Ludu boards daily. Now we are not even producing 500 pieces a day “. ,” Ruhul said as he prepared a dish of glue to apply to the Ludu boards.
Photo: Noor-A-Alam
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Photo: Noor-A-Alam
“After the mobile games came, most of the Ludu factories went out of business,” he said, adding, “Earlier, our workers here used to do overtime, work at night, but now we have to work outside as laborers to bring food to our plates.”
Ludu has been a popular board game in Bangladesh for a long time. And it remains popular. People love to play this game at their leisure. But there has been a profound change now that the app-based Ludu game has become widely popular, leaving the once much-loved traditional board-based Ludu in the lurch.
As a result, traditional Ludu board manufacturers are increasingly losing their existence in the face of the digitization of the game.
The story is somewhat similar for other board games like carrom, or chess for example. The digitization of these games has put the livelihood of the workers and entrepreneurs in this sector in trouble.
“It has gradually declined over the last five years. Whenever the game went to people’s mobile phones, our business dried up,” said Ruhul.
Imran Hossain, another employee at Kader Ludu said there were many Ludu factories in Hazaribagh and Kamalbagh areas in the past. But they are no longer in business. Most of them shifted to plastic businesses.
“There was a factory on the edge of this alley, but that too went out of business,” Imran said, adding, “I know people who failed in the Ludu business and are now rickshaw pullers or day laborers work. It happened in the last five years.”
Another employee named Shamim has been working here since childhood, for more than 20 years now.
He explained how the digitization of the game has cut sharply into their income.
Photo: Noor-A-Alam
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Photo: Noor-A-Alam
“Earlier there was money in this line. You would see two rickshaw pullers playing this game if they did not have passengers. It was popular. Unlike chess or carrom, which many people did not understand, anyone could play Ludu play,” said Shamim, who believes Carrom or chess makers are also in crisis, but “not like us. Their market was always small.”
Shamim further added, “Now if there is work till evening, we can barely make Tk400 a day. In the past, we had more work, and we could earn Tk600 a day. At that time, the value of Tk600 was a lot. The commodity prices was less at the time.”
The employees bear the brunt of this falling market. Many have resorted to taking on second jobs “like picking produce onto trucks at night,” says Shamim, who believes asking for a raise is pointless. “How [can it happen]? There is no sale. This business does not have a chance to rise again. I don’t know what I will do in the future,” lamented Shamim.
Aga Sadek Lane’s carrom makers in despair
In Old Dhaka’s Aga Sadek Lane, we interviewed half a dozen wheelbarrow makers who said their business had fallen drastically in recent years.
“There is an impact from digital games. Our sales have now become completely seasonal. It sells a little bit in the summer but doesn’t sell in the winter. People are more unemployed in the fall than in the winter. So they have more time to play games in the fall,” said a factory owner named Ibrahim.
Once there were more than 30 factories in this lane. But the number has now dropped to less than half. Why?
“Because the price of essentials has gone up, but our selling price has remained the same. For example, the price of a small plate that we sold five years ago in the market for Tk200 – Tk250 has remained the same.
“Suppose this board (56″ * 56″) costs me Tk4,200 to make. But still I have to sell it for Tk4,000 because they won’t buy at a higher price,” said Ibrahim.
“Just like many others who left this line, I might have to do something else too. Take this December for example, I haven’t sold a single piece yet [of carrom board] yet. In November we sold less than 50 pieces of small boards. I used to have five to seven employees. Now I am the only one working,” he added.
Photo: Noor-A-Alam
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Photo: Noor-A-Alam
In the same lane sits Bashar Carrom. His master craftsman Jamal has been working in the carrom factory for 25 years. “In the past, we would sell 300 pieces a month. Our factory is about 25 years old. Back then, it was even possible to sell 50 pieces of carambola a day,” said Jamal.
“We can’t even sell 50 pieces a month now. The decline started five to seven years ago. Suppose a factory’s rent is about Tk15,000 a month. Now are the owners going to pay workers, or pay rent, or something for deserve himself?” he asked.
However, some workers at carrom factories are a bit optimistic compared to Ludu makers for some reason, expecting their good days to return one day.
“The game that people physically play with carroms cannot be exactly replicated in mobile games. It’s more fun. So even though business has affected, mobile games cannot take all our business. We will survive,” said an employee at Bashar Carrom said.
