EVERYBODY wants to break the Ramadan fast in the company of family members and the near and dear ones at home. Having Iftar along with others adds to the beauty of the month-long Islamic ritual. But for a large number of office-goers and many others in Dhaka, it becomes difficult at times. The capital's traffic gridlock and tailback become unwieldy as the Ramadan days wear on. In the days after the 15th day of the month, transport of virtually all modes are seen stuck in jams at one point or the other. With Iftar time approaching, everyone is on a rush to reach their residences. With scores of vehicles, including the buses, cars, rickshaws and auto-rickshaws, moving at a time, one spectacle ensues inevitably - as if nothing moves or has the space to move. Meanwhile, the time for breaking fast arrives. The sound of the Maghrib Azan comes from all sides. Transports grind to a halt. In the earlier days, the bus or rickshaw passengers and the car users would be seen rushing towards the street-side vendors. They offered drinking water to people to end fast. Iftar items were also put on sale.
Like many other things in this city, the style of commuters taking Iftar has also gone through changes. Nowadays, they do not have to alight from their transports. Wherever the Iftar time arrives, small packets of prepared Iftar along with water bottles promptly reach them. Young men and teenage boys are seen scurrying from one vehicle to another, selling Iftar to passengers on fast. This sight of jam-stuck commuters buying Iftar from vendors was once beyond imagination. The breaking of fast has entered the age of improvisation and take-away. It has relieved many people of the anxieties of ending fast on time. But the hygienic standard of the roadside Iftar items upsets many. The worries can be allayed to a great extent by enforcing strict surveillance.
Nur Mohammad Khan
Shyamoli, Dhaka
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