Buyers feel heat on Iftar items

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DHAKA'S TRADITION: A view of the city's Chakbazar that took a bustling look Friday, the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. — FE Photo

Naim-Ul-Karim
Hundreds of Muslims thronged restaurants and roadside makeshift stalls in the city Friday, on the first day of holy Ramadan, to buy crispy Iftar items.
There was heavy rush of people in almost every place where such foods were available. But the most attractive place for a variety of traditional Iftar items was the Chawker Moar, a familiar Iftar bazaar in old part of the capital,
Some 400 traders, including over hundred amateurs, at around the Shahi mosque, were seen selling about 200 items of Iftar to the enthusiastic customers.
Exclusive Iftar items in the bazaar include chicken and mutton roast, suti kabab, baro baper pola, shahi jilapi, dahi bara, kima paratha, juice of jafrani milk.
Due to the skyrocketing prices, the fasting Muslims struggled to grab the most favourable Iftar items.
Some shopkeepers said prices of almost all the Iftar items marked a sharp rise due to price hike of essential commodities.
"We are trying our best to keep the prices of the Iftar items at tolerable levels at the bazaar. It is not our aim to make profit, rather it is our efforts to nurture the culture and heritage of our predecessors," Nasir Uddin of Nur-e-Madina Hotel said.
Not only the fasting Muslims of the city, but also the people of other religions visit the Iftar bazaar in the old Dhaka city.
Hadi Wahab of New Amania Restaurants said the fasting Muslim buyers started to gather just after saying Jumma prayer to buy the items of their choice at the Iftar bazaar.
When asked, he said the buyers of the exclusive items are few though hundreds of them throng the bazaar.
Prices of mutton and Chicken roast are Tk 220-Tk 280 and 120-Tk 150 per piece respectively.
Besides, prices of baro baper pola and suti kabab of different brands were selling at Tk 200-240 and Tk 240-Tk 250 per kilogramme (kg).
Prices of almost all the Iftar items rose this year.
Low and middle-income people were found buying the items like beguni, chop, sada parata and other items at cheaper prices.
However, several hundred restaurants and hotels at the city's Gulshan, Banani, Dhanmondi, New Market and Baily Road areas have put on sale special foods side by side the common items.
They are selling burger, pizza, sandwiches, biriani, kabab, Chinese and Thai foods, ice creams, biscuits, fruits, dates, peyaju and beguni.