Bangladesh, Sept. 15 -- 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-...