For the poor of the Teesta shoal, Chal Bhaja has become an iftar staple
During the month of Ramadan, the act of frying uncooked rice is common in almost every home in the Teesta shoal area.
People there cannot afford basic iftar items, so for them, "chal bhaja" has become an iftar staple. Many make the mistake of thinking it is a traditional iftar item in the area, however, according to the people of the Teesta shoal area, it is a part of their iftar menu due to sheer poverty.
Fifteen to twenty minutes ahead of iftar, Tanzina Begum, 35, of Kalmati village in Khuniagach union of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, was frying around 250 grams of rice at home. Her two children, Sathimoni Akhter, 11, and Raju Islam, 7, were sitting next to her. Sathimoni had been fasting, while Raju is still too young to fast.
Tanzina's husband Aminur Rahman had gone to Tangail to work as a day labourer. The family has been struggling with poverty ever since they lost their arable land and homestead due to the erosion of the Teesta River.
"During the month of Ramadan, we eat chal bhaja as an iftar item. We cannot afford to buy chhola boot (chickpeas), boondi, muri (puffed rice) and fruits," said Tanzina. "Our children want to eat different basic iftar items. They often cry. But we are helpless."
"We take another meal two hours after iftar. The best we can do is rice, daal (lentils) and potato curry. We have the same food during sehri as well," she added.
Tanzina's neighbour Sahid Ali, 70, who was also affected by erosion along the Teesta, told The Daily Star that eating iftar with "chal bhaja" is a long-standing habit of the Teesta shoal people.
"We take chal bhaja for iftar due to our poverty, yet many people think chal bhaja is a traditional iftar item of the Teesta shoal," he said. "We don't want to break our fast with chal bhaja, but our poverty demands that we do."
Sharifa Begum, 30, of the same village told The Daily Star that it is painful to have chal bhaja for iftar every day. But it is not possible for her husband Abdul Hamid, who is a day labourer, to buy the ingredients for various iftar items, she said.
Her three children, Ashamoni Akhtar, 10, Hasimoni Akhtar, 18, and Ahsan Habib, 3, shed tears of hunger for better iftar items. But they are unable to add any variety to the menu.
"Even during sehri time, there is nothing written in our fortunes except daal and rice," she said.
Sharifa's husband Abdul Hamid, 35, told The Daily Star that he started working as a day labourer after losing his homestead and arable land due to the Teesta river erosion. He can earn Tk 300 every day. With this income, it will not be possible to buy rice, dal and vegetables if he buys ingredients for various iftar items," he said.
"I want to buy chhola, boondi and fruit for my children, but I cannot afford it. Slowly, my children are also getting used to eat chal bhaja," he said.
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