Is Chawk Bazar's iftar worth it? The question may ignite many opinions, both positive and negative. Whether you and I like it or not, the iftar bazaar continues with much pomp and fervour. This may make one wonder: why is the iftar market of the Chawk so iconic?

You may say it is due to the sheer variety of the delicacies offered there, or the label of Old Dhaka food, or even the special items and gimmicks, such as the item curiously referred to as Boro Baaper Polai Khai and those jilapis that are larger than your head! 

A history buff may argue that it is simply the legacy of the iftar market that makes it special. Chawk Bazar is a very old market -- at least 300 years -- and particularly the iftar market is at least a century old. 

Moreover, once upon a time, it was the only iftar hub of Dhaka. Therefore, if you wanted to buy iftar, you had very little option other than visiting the Chawk.

Hakim Habibur Rahman, in Dhaka Panchas Baras Pahle (published in 1940s) said that people of all classes flocked to that iftar market. 

He further commented, "Now iftar is sold in every neighbourhood, but during our childhood, this was not at all the case."

This hints towards a monopoly Chawk Bazar enjoyed in the olden times. 

Hence, the legacy -- reinforced by the grandeur and gimmicks of the relatively present years -- has possibly made Chawk Bazar an iconic iftar market as we see it today!