The purpose of Ramadan

The month long abstinence from material cravings for building up character against all sorts of profligate and evil instincts and passions-- the holy month of Ramadan-- the observance of it is about to start in Bangladesh from tomorrow (Tuesday). The observance of Ramadan is one of the five main pillars of Islam. It was a blessing from Almighty Allah to mankind revealed through Prophet Mohammad (SM) for training humans in the right behaviour for their own good and that of the community. brRamadan has been studied by non-Muslim scholars who found nothing but goodness in its observance. The most advanced medical research in the world today has only proved afresh that planned denial of foods or fasting is highly beneficial for human health. As for Ramadan's other objectives of taming base feelings and impulses and to keep restricted human behaviour to moderation, frugality, suppression of animal instincts, etc., the same are needed for the best progress through life by individuals and collectively by their polities. The ill effects of unbridled materialism and over consumption are starkly manifest to mankind as a whole today. Unrestricted consumptive activities is pushing planet earth towards environmental disaster. Thus, on a global scale also, involving the sheer existence of the human race, the message of Ramadan involving doing with less and not more, has a relevance.brAs for Bangladesh, one would only like to hope that the rigours practiced during the coming month of Ramadan and the character improvement achieved as a result, will continue to be reflected in various tiers of national life. Bangladesh today stands at a crossroads. It could go either way in a positive direction or its opposite depending on the behaviour of sections of its people who matter, their understanding of their responsibilities, their forswearing not to be tempted by their past sins and forbearance to cooperate in a collective national endeavour for national redemption. If Ramadan, this year brings awareness on the part of all of us to retain the character purification attained through this month, for its application for our salvation as a nation as a whole, then nothing would be more welcome than such a development.brThe vast number of consumers would deeply appreciate moves taken by the government to keep prices within the bounds of what would be bearable for them during Ramadan. There are not too many products really that need to be under some kind of supervision measures to keep their prices from spurting unusually to the detriment of the consuming people when they are seen to be making substantially increased purchases of these in a comparative sense. Essentially, government is expected to exercise some kind of stabilising influence on the prices of food items during Ramadan. Government must fine-tune a consultation mechanism with the traders to ensure that prices of goods heavily consumed during Ramadan, are not artificially and most unethically raised from profiteering activities. brThere are enough reasons to worry on this score because the media has been giving wide coverage to very surprising and completely unjustifiable further price hikes of some imported kitchen commodities the prices of which have fallen substantially in international markets recently and are still falling. The traders may have some excuse for not lowering their prices immediately as they had obtained these supplies through imports when prices were higher. But what excuse they can have now for pushing the prices yet higher from the levels these used to be only some days ago Only harder price monitoring by the BDR and other agencies that was done last year will be of any use in keeping prices at their rational levels during Ramadan. This lesson must not be lost among policy makers in the government if there is really any desire that people must not be further oppressed and exploited during this month of austerity.