People get angrier as iftar approaches: study

People get more and more frustrated and angry at each other as the time to break fast in the holy month of Ramadan approaches, a new study found. 

The study conducted by a group called "Blatantly Obvious Conclusions" also found that people were more likely to engage in physical violence near the time of sunset than earlier in the day.

The findings of the study were revealed in a press conference in the capital yesterday.

"We have spoken to a large cross-section of people, including office workers, pedestrians, motorists and homemakers," said Abul Kabul, the lead author.

"The conclusions are unmistakable, and obvious, obviously. People in Dhaka get angrier as the day wears on," he said at the press conference that started around evening yesterday.

Among the signs of tempers flaring were a greater incidence of honking on the streets, slapping rickshaw-pullers, rickshaw-puller-on-rickshaw-puller violence, arguments among married couples, and long tailbacks caused by a motorist abusing the ancestors of another in the middle of the road.

"We think this may be linked to hunger pangs and people experiencing withdrawal due to not being able to indulge their vices while fasting," Abul said. "It is of course not helped by the traffic, the air pollution, and the heat people often experience at the end of the work day."

A reporter asked for the study duration, and the study authors on stage started rifling through the study documents for around five minutes.

"Er… it seems that we do not have the exact dates," Abul said. "Let's just say that this study was conducted over the last three years."

"Over the last three Ramadans, you mean?" a reporter asked.

"No, this was over all of the last three years."

"So this isn't restricted to people getting angrier as iftar approaches. People in Dhaka generally get angrier as the day wears on, regardless of time of year?"

Abul paused for a second, before replying, "Oh will you look at that? Living in Dhaka basically gets you angry. Fascinating! Blatantly Obvious Conclusions will publish another study on this. Now, please enjoy your iftar."

In other news, a study found that there were too many studies being published and reported on, and that many may be misleading.