The Vespa Doctor of Dhaka

It was the afternoon after Lionel Messi had secured the first cup for Argentina in over three decades.

While the blue half of Bangladesh was busy celebrating the momentous occasion, Badsha Bhai's mind was on Cox's Bazar.

Just a few days later on 21 December, at least 60 Vespas would start from the Doyel Chattar, stopover at Chattogram and then make their way towards Cox's Bazar.

Badsha had volunteered to take the responsibility of checking each Vespa and making any necessary repairs. It was quite an undertaking, but who else but Badsha Bhai?

After all, he is the man best known by his moniker "The Vespa Doctor". His is the number Vespa riders always keep on speed dial. Who else but Badsha Bhai, indeed.

Badsha Bhai has repaired about 3,000 Vespas so far.

His company, LB Vespa Workshop, always sees a rush of customers.

With older models harder to come by, the Vespa has also earned its stripes as a vintage, increasing its value but making repairs and finding parts more difficult.

Badsha Bhai is the man who meets this gap, his trust-worthy presence and able hands prioritised by Vespa lovers.

The Bangladesh Vespa Community has also been thriving in recent years.

Last 8 August, the community organised a "Nawabi ride" with hundreds of riders decked out in lungis and panjabis.

A ride for everyone

"Vespa is the king of scooters. It is very cleverly designed. Whether you wear a suit and tie, a kabli, or a panjabi-pyjama, it can be ridden with anything. It is the vehicle of the gentleman but also the masses," Badsha said.

"The Vespa makes full use of aerodynamics. Due to the shock absorber, it takes less shock. Also, the spare compartment is large enough to carry a lot of things."

He said there were about 5,000 Vespas across the country. Dhaka has the highest number of Vespas, followed by Jashore, Chattogram, Rajshahi and Mymensingh.

Earlier, the Vespas were handy bikes used not just for transporting people, but also carrying goods. Salesmen would often be seen on Vespas, going from street to street. Small traders also used the scooter to carry goods like clothes and biscuits, Badsha said.

"I even saw one carrying eggs in Kaptan Bazar once. The Vespa is truly an exceptional vehicle."

Badsha pointed out another unique aspect of the bike.

"You will see the traffic police never stop a Vespa. Its papers are never tampered with and the vehicle has an aura of royalty about it.

"The traffic police also know this and respect the vehicle."

The doctor's diaries

Badsha Bhai's full name is Badsha Mia. He became a mechanic around 1989, when he was only seven years old.

The youngest among four siblings, Badsha knew he had to start working from an early age to help with the family expenses. His father was an electrician and the family lived in the capital's Siddique Bazar.

There was an automobile repair shop near his house. On his way to school, Badsha often found himself at one end of the shop, transfixed by the different works going on.

He often got a stern scolding for this fascination, but it did little to deter Badsha. Even when in the classroom, his mind would wander to the workshop, gripped by the sparks he saw as metal ground against metal.

One day the head of the workshop, Tamizuddin, said to a young Badsha, "I will teach you work, but there is a condition. You have to continue your schooling."

For Badsha, this was a happy deal. After school, he would change out of his uniform and rush to the shop.

That's where he met the actor Khalil, who used to drive a Vespa. Khalil would come to the master engineer Tamizuddin whenever his scooter had any issues.

Badsha fell in love with the smoke the vehicle emitted and he was also quite taken with its name, Vespa.

And thus began an unending infatuation.

A natural

Badsha knows the Vespa like the back of his hand.

Its headlight, taillight, speedometer and engine are etched in his brain. He can make the scooter purr with his eyes closed.

For Badsha, it's not just love; it's an actual relationship bound by bracelets of trust and loyalty.

"I do the repair work out of love. As long as the Vespa exists, I will not touch any other vehicle," Badsha declares.

Badsha's loyalty, however, comes at a cost. It's also the reason why his income isn't higher, although money is a small issue when it comes to matters of the heart.

"If a Vespa takes Tk15,000 to fix, then that is what I will charge. Once someone brought a Vespa, I saw it and said it would cost Tk5,000 to repair. Later, I managed to finish the work within Tk3,000. I returned the additional money and the customer was so surprised that he even invited me to his house for Eid," he recalls.

Badsha gets around Tk50,000 from his workshop, of which Tk30,000 goes in rent and as salary to his assistant. The rest he uses for his household expenditure.

But this Tk50,000 per month isn't a guarantee. There are days when he barely makes a penny.

Two or three times a week, he also makes house calls, sometimes in Eskaton, sometimes in Moghbazar or Gulshan.

How did he come across the Vespa Doctor title?

"It's what Vespa lovers call me affectionately."

A conduit, a medium

Badsha also attends to tasks beyond the call of his duty as well. 

Once he received a call from Naogaon. A doctor was interested in purchasing a second-hand Vespa, a rare commodity.

Badsha knew someone who wanted to sell an old Vespa, but its condition was quite fragile. So Badsha wrapped it in a sack and brought it to his shop.

Promising that it would look new, Badsha went to work, retouching the vehicle from head to toe. 

After his dexterous touches, the vehicle was ready: fit for a modern day Maharajah. 

Then came the second challenge. How would he send the scooter? The doctor suggested using a courier service, but Badsha had another plan. 

Although Badsha never met the doctor, he decided to surprise him by driving the bike some 311 kilometres to Naogaon.

He was greeted with the warmest hug.

Badsha also once purchased a near-abandoned Vespa from Laxmibazar for Tk40,000, repaired it and sold it to another stranger looking for the elusive scooter.

The buyer provided everything and spare parts had to be imported from Italy for the princely sum of Tk2 lakh.

In return, Badsha gave him a brand new looking Vespa, all cobwebs gathered long forgotten.

"Not everything can be bought with money. Seeing people's happiness fills the soul. I don't have a lot of money, but I am blessed with people's love. That is happiness," Badsha said.

Badsha also recalled a story when one of his regular customers went to Canada and called Badsha from there. It was yet another Vespa issue.

After 10pm, Badsha video called the customer, Tushar, and show him exactly what needed to be done. 

He conducted the session for over an hour. Afterwards, the scooter was once again good as new.

A carnival in Cox's Bazar

For now, Badsha is still thinking about the Cox's Bazar Carnival, which will cater to 126 Vespa riders.

He knows all won't drive to the beach town, but 60 will for sure. Their journey began at 7:30am on Tuesday and it will last till 25 December.

The trip means Badsha will have little rest. He has already sent a checklist to the participants, which includes brake inspection, handlebar movement check, transmission unit check, a quick look at the battery and others.

If anyone faces any difficulty, Badsha is willing to do the repairs for free. He also thinks 60 Vespas on the road together will be quite the sight to see.

But has Badsha's love translated to having a Vespa for himself?

Indeed. Badsha has two Vespas - a 1967 model and a 2000 one. 

He even considers Jasimuddin as his favourite poet.

Why? Because Jasimuddin, too, rode a Vespa.