The aroma of crispy lentil fritters, crunchy jilapi, flavoursome haleem and sweet-plump dates is missing in the air, so is the ambience of Ramadan. But life goes on; Bangladeshis living in different corners of the globe observe Ramadan in their own way, thousands of miles away from their roots.
While some manage to prepare spicy-savoury chickpeas, fried delicacies and fresh lemonade for iftar throughout the holy month, there are others who do not even find the time to eat a traditional iftar, except perhaps on the weekends.
Fasting in a foreign country is a different experience altogether.
“We fast for nearly 17 hours here in Toronto. Being without food and water for 17 hours is not easy, but our bodies have adapted to the rituals here,” said Sabrin S, 36, a medical doctor and a graduate student who lives in Canada. “There have been many occasions when I missed my iftar because I was attending an evening class,” Sabrin further added.
“Ramadan feels very different away from home,” said Mahdin Mahboob, 31, a Ph.D. candidate at Stony Brook University in New York. “Unlike back home, it's business as usual in the West. There are no reduced working hours, of course.
“Graduate school is tough and things get even tougher during Ramadan when one has to fast for 16 plus hours and work equally hard,” he added. “But it's okay, we get used to the new routine after the first few days.”
Asif Akhter, 34, a treasury and securitisation analyst living in Sydney, Australia, however, is finding it easier to fast this year. Asked why, Akhter said, “It's winter in Australia now, so the days are shorter!”
Akhter's workday begins early during Ramadan. “I finish my sehri and head out for work by 6:30 a.m. That way, I can return home early to have iftar with my family.” On a long workday, however, he packs a little something to work to break his fast with.
Iftar is not always an elaborate meal in a foreign land like it is in Bangladesh. “On weekdays, when we are too tired, my family and I often break our fast at a restaurant. The Bangladeshi, Indian, Afghan and Arab eateries in Toronto offer a wide range of Ramadan specials,” said Sabrin S.
“Weekends are different, though. On weekends, we try to organise potluck iftar with our Bangladeshi friends and acquaintances,” she added.
Communal iftar brings the expatriate population together and provides relief from the pang of homesickness that often engulfs a Bangladeshi Muslim.
These social gatherings help the immigrant population relive for a few hours the Ramadan days they left behind in the distant past.
“We arrange and attend iftar get-togethers on weekends. We become nostalgic as we eat and talk. It feels so good to be surrounded by other Bangladeshis during this holy month,” said Akhter.
Mahboob, who is a full-time doctoral student, attends and enjoys iftar events organised by his university's Muslim Student Association. “It is a great feeling to break the fast and pray with people of all ages, colours and ethnicities.”
Bangladeshi expatriates reminisce about the Ramadan atmosphere in their home country at this time of the year. They miss sitting with their parents and siblings at the dinner table and wait for a muezzin's call to the Maghreb prayer.
“I have saved some of my favourite surahs off the Internet to play before iftar. It reminds me of my years in Dhaka when during Ramadan, we would listen to surah recitations on Bangladesh Television (BTV) before the Maghreb adhan,” Mahboob said in a voice filled with nostalgia.
By Wara Karim
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