Feature

After a whole month of fasting with devotion and patience in order to satisfy Allah; Muslims celebrate the day of Eid-ul-fitre. Ramadan- a Month of devotion, a month of self-restraint, a month to understand the sufferings of the poor, those who starve not because they wish to but because they have to.

But what do we see around us? Fashion Collection with high price tags in every boutique, in every super market and people are buying, buying and buying till they drop!!

During the Iftaar, all the shops, restaurants arranging “mukhorochok Iftaari” with “shahi” everything are tagged with high prices as well, but are flooded with people jumping to buy as much as they can.

Surprisingly we see on television and in newspapers reports on price hike of essentials, the rising inflation causing people's life and living tougher. But I can't see any difference in reality. May be the consequences are borne by the lower middle class and the poor. But the whole bunch of people enjoying the shopping at the “shopper's world” and attending the Iftaar parties at “Sheraton” or “Shonargaon” seem to be completely unaware.

Another surprising fact is that the TV news channels that are constantly showing the consequences of the inflation, price hike of edible oil, onion, chili etc, are the same to broadcast “live” the so called “utshob” of buying pricey iftaar!

For the young generation one dress for Eid is insane, iftaar with only the daily meal like “bhat-mach” is insane to our elders. But in the name of culture, isn't the practice of selling tons of rich items as Iftaar at “puran Dhaka” insane!! We are told to practice self-restraint in the moth of Ramadan and so forth, but there is no sign of it.

The Muslims are told to give Zakat and that we should ensure that the quality of cloth we give should be of good quality. We are not even ordered to give Zakat to thousands of people excepting those rich people who can afford. We are to give Zakat according to our ability and it can be to one poor person only. But we have set a rule of our own to distribute very low quality clothes among thousands of poor people in the name of Zakat. We are also ordered to deliver the Zakat to the recipient's home, as it is their right on us, but we distribute it in a hazardous way which often results in stampede and deaths. Zakat is not to be treated as alms!

I am not saying to stop shopping or having traditional iftaar. All I am suggesting is to stop wasting. We are a nation which cannot afford wastage. Wasting money on 5 or 6 dresses or on expensive jewelry for Eid is not the way to prove ourselves trendy enough. I wish everyone will understand the true meaning of Eid and have a wonderful time next year. Advance Eid Mubarak!!

Dept. of Economics (83rd batch), University of Dhaka.

Test your IQ


1 Q: You are driving a car on one big stormy night. You pass a bus station. There are three people who are waiting for the bus: One old sick lady who is dying, One doctor who saved your life before, and one lady who is someone you have been dreaming to be with. You can only take one passenger, which one will you choose?

2 Q: With a 7-minute hourglass and an 11-minute hourglass, can you explain the quickest way to time a boiling egg for 15 minutes?

3 Q: You are visiting a new town and need a haircut. There are only two barbers in town. You visit each shop. One is disorganized and messy and the barber has a horrible haircut. The other one is neat and tidy and the barber has a wonderful haircut. Which barber would you choose and why?

4 Q: The day before yesterday Tahrin was nine years old. Next year she will be twelve. How is this possible?

5 Q: A man bet a store owner Tk. 2,500 that he could balance a [the store owner's] vase on his head and walk 200 meters. The store owner agreed because it was so completely obvious he could not. He grinned and walked only 1 foot before the vase fell. The store owner smiled and laughed as he accepted the money from the man. But, the man was grinning the biggest smile a person would ever see. Why?

Answer Page: 31