People crowd the makeshift shops on the footpath to buy Iftar items in the port city. Photo: STAR

Makeshift Iftar shops cropped up on the sidewalks across the port city as business on Iftar items has boomed with the advent of Ramadan.
The shops generally dealing with bakery items and confectioneries opened counters in front of their outlets to sell various Iftar items in a bid to offset the effect of day-long closure.
People have been buying Iftar though the prices are higher than the previous year. Price hike makes the situation very tough for the middle and lower-income people.
Khorshed Alam, a day labourer and resident of Alkaran area in the city who bought his Iftar items from the footpath in the New Market, said he has to spend Tk 30 to buy Iftar this year for which he spent Tk 20 last year. The prices of Iftar items have increased but their income has remained the same, he added.
Mahmud Hasan, an officer of a garment factory at Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ), said prices of all food items are higher than the previous Ramadan. He said being a conscious person he wants to buy quality foods but the price is very high in the market. He said he bought a kilogramme of chickpeas at Tk 100 last year which costs more than Tk 120 per kg this year.
The shop keepers of different markets blamed it for the price hike of raw items in the market.
Md Zahir, a shopkeeper of footpath at Chittagong Rail Station, said the price of one kg of raw chickpeas was Tk 45 to Tk 60 last year which they are to buy at Tk 75 to Tk 80 this year. Owner of a renowned shop, on condition of anonymity, told the same in this regard.
The shopkeepers said though the price of food items is higher this year but most of the Iftar items are sold before the Iftar time.
The lower and middle income groups of people have the interest in traditional items of Iftar like chickpeas, piajoo, jilapi, dates, firni, beef and chicken roasts, mutton and chicken cutlet, kima roll, different types of kabab, kima parata, borhani and different kinds of sweetmeats.
But the situation is different for high income group of people. They don't care about price. They like continental and Indian dish along with the traditional Iftar items. They also take Iftar at restaurants with western food like pizza.
Staff of the different fast food shops and restaurants said some customers also take these kinds of Iftar items to residents.
Md Sabdin Uddin Ahmed, Supervisor of KFC at Lankhan Bazar intersection, said these kinds of food items have a place in higher society. Once these food items were only the favourite dish for the young people but now all irrespective of age like to keep them in their Iftar menu, he added.
He said KFC is offering a special offer to its customers for Iftar, including three pieces of hot wings and mixed rice or one piece chicken and regular fries for Tk 149. Though this dish does not contain the traditional items of Iftar, customers are interested in taking Iftar with this, he added.
Md Shawkat Ali, shift manager of Pizza Hut Chittagong branch, said western foods like Pizza occupied a portion in Iftar item. Customers' interests have been growing up on this item. Pizza hut is offering here an Iftar package “Eat as much as you can”, he added.
But most of the restaurants have been offering the traditional items of Iftar as the customers have still an interest in traditional items.
Nurul Abser, incharge of Broast Cafe restaurant, said the people have interest in new trends but traditional items are still the highest choice.