Iftar at Chawkbazar in Dhaka: Crowds Throng to Taste the Tradition
By Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty
DHAKA: In this Ramadan, the traditional Iftar market in Chawkbazar in Old Dhaka is packed. The ever-present splendour of the various dishes here attracts food lovers from far and wide. This year too was no exception. During the days of Ramadan, the main road of Chawkbazar becomes crowded with people as soon as noon to collect Iftar.
It takes buyers quite a while to reach Chawkbazar from Laxmi Bazar, crossing the crowded traffic of Old Dhaka. There, from 3 pm onwards, vendors start shouting on the main road – take this ‘Bada Baper Polai Khay’ kebab, this lacchi-faluda! ‘Daai Bada’! Residents of Old Dhaka come here with Iftar packages.
One of them said that he has been selling Iftar here for almost 20 years. He said confidently that the tradition of Iftar in Chawkbazar is different. Another spoke about their traditional ‘Shahi Dahi-Bada’ and ‘Borhani’ – which have been satisfying the residents of the capital for about 40 years.
However, there is also a variety in the price of food in Chawkbazar. Big establishments like Hotel Amania come with their huge iftar menus. There are also temporary shops on the side of the road selling iftar items.
Their prices vary depending on the quality. Here, ordinary pakoras, potato chops and beeguni are available for just 10 taka (0.082 US dollar), while egg chops are sold for 20 taka, egg toast for 30 taka and pumpkin toast for 15 taka.
In addition, chicken samucha is available for 15 taka, chicken cutlets for 30 taka, chicken fries for 130 taka, and chicken sticks for 80 taka. Apart from these, there are various types of rolls, naans and parotas. Vegetable rolls, chicken rolls, plain parotas, chicken parotas, butter naans and chicken naans are available.
Grilled and roasted items here have a touch of elegance. Whole leg roast is being sold for 800 taka, chicken alphaham for 520 taka, and whole chicken roast for 420 taka.
Many people are also interested in sweets in Chawkbazar. Yogurt-chira is sold at 100 taka per bowl, Faluda is sold at 120 taka per small bowl and 500 taka per large bowl. There is also silk jilapi which is sold at 500 taka per kg.
All in all, the Iftar market in Chawkbazar, with its blend of traditional taste and modernity, has once again proven why it is an integral part of Dhaka culture.
Regarding the current situation in the market, a vendor at Hotel Amania said, “The buyers are people from Old Dhaka, they look for taste more than price. This time we are offering Chicken Alfaham at 520 taka and whole chicken roast at 420 taka, which is difficult to find at this price anywhere else in Dhaka.”
A student who came to buy iftar said in his reaction, Iftar at Chowk means a different vibe. Iftar is not enjoyed without jilapi. Although the prices here seem a bit high, the crowd shows how much people like the food of Chowk Bazar.
An elderly customer who stood in line for a long time in the market said with nostalgia, “Earlier, labang and big bowl faludai were the main attraction. Now the items have increased a lot. Everyone in the family likes these items.
In line with Chowk Bazar, new food items are being added to the Iftar markets in other areas of Dhaka, along with the tradition. The Iftar markets of New Market, Bailey Road, Dhanmondi, Gulshan, and Banani also gather in large numbers to buy Iftar.
However, the price of Iftar in New Dhaka is relatively high. On the other hand, the big hotels-restaurants and five-star hotels in Dhaka are also organizing Bahari Iftar for the fasting people.
