For Tk5, Munshiganj dwellers buy 7 Ramadan essentials

Mohammad Masud, a Munshiganj resident, never imagined buying seven kilograms of Ramadan essentials only for Tk5. 

But an initiative of Munshiganj Seba Kendra has made it possible for some 200 families in the district town struggling to buy commodities during the holy month.  

"I cannot afford to buy commodities like this every day," Masud told TBS, holding a bag that carried one kilogram of puffed rice, chickpeas, sugar, soybean oil, dates, lentils, and onions each. 

The bag he bought with only Tk5. 

"After fasting all day, many people in my neighbourhood cannot afford to break the fast by having a glass of sharbat [juice] due to the high cost of sugar. We can't even afford chickpeas or dates," said Masud. 

"Being able to buy all these for Tk5 only feels surreal," he added.

At 9am Friday (22 March), a gathering of people was drawn to stalls set up along the road near Idris Ali Madbor Polytechnic Institute in the Uttar Islampur area of the town, where seven of the essential iftar commodities were arranged for sale at a token price. 

Residents waited on queue and bought the commodities. 200 families in Munshiganj received the seven Ramadan essentials only for Tk5. Photo: Md Moinuddin Ahmed Shumon

Reflecting a similar sentiment like Masud, 70-year-old Panpati Begum from Nayagaon village said, "Alhamdulillah! I have got a lot for Tk5. This is the first time in my life that I have bought so much for only Tk5."

While explaining the significance of the initiative, Md Baijit Khan, president of the organisation, said it is important to cater to the Iftar needs of low-income individuals within society. 

"We have organised selling of Iftar essentials for the first time for only Tk5," he said, hinting at plans for larger-scale events in the future.

This Iftar market is limited to 200 families only this Ramadan, he added.