CONSUMPTION

Eid, religiously marked by unity, family, and togetherness, has for many, lost its true meaning and the sheen of the occasion has been replaced by crazy discounts and rampant consumerism. Restaurants boasting of all-you-can-eat iftaar offers are plastered all over social media on one side and photos of crowds of tired, fasting shoppers clamouring for some floor space to wait for the Maghrib adhan. It seems that the number of people out on the streets of Dhaka doubles overnight after the 10th or so day of Ramadan.

On the other hand, while I can sit here criticising consumption and talking about how the family and togetherness factors seem to have vanished, business is booming. This is a time for shopkeepers and workers to earn a lot in commissions for their own families. Perhaps some people don’t care about festivities as much anymore, but making more money means they can take care of their families and that’s what Eid means to me.

– Talat Ahmed, Sub-editor, SHOUT