The sky glows in soft pink, blending into the gentle waves while a cool breeze fills the air with serenity. Sitting on the only boat floating in the middle of the Buriganga, preparing ourselves for iftar, it's not hard to get lost in the beauty of the moment. As the Maghrib adhan begins from distant mosques, the sacred call spreads through the evening wind, echoing through the twilight.
You wish time to slow down, wanting to hold on to this feeling a little longer. You never imagined a moment like this, yet Sadarghat waits, ready to welcome you andseal the moments into your soul forever.
This was our second time, and our previous experience in 2024 was just okay, but it had its challenges—poor time management and not choosing qualityiftaritems. This time, we were better prepared. We headed to Chawkbazar with my close juniors, Rasel and Torun. I even brought a bedsheet from home to make the arrangement tidy.
Last time, we bought our iftar from only one or two shops. But this time, we decided to explore different stalls to collect a variety of items. We reached Chawkbazar at 3 PM, and the crowd was so dense, it was hard to move.
We started our food hunt with Atique's Sweets and Confectionery, from where we bought panirsamucha, doi bora and keema chop. Next, we went to Bombay Confectionery just near Atique'sand got chicken rolls and eggchops. At Ananda Confectionery, we picked up cutlets, reshmi jilapi, and badam sharbat. From random stalls in the lane in front of the Chawkbazar Shahi Mosque, we bought the classics —piyaju,alu chop, and beguni.
As we left Chawkbazar, we grabbed a small watermelon from a random van and a bottle of laban from a nearby shop. By the time we were done, it was already 5. To avoid the rush at Sadarghat, we decided to take our boat from Mitford Ghat. We took a rickshaw there and found a long line of boats. We chose one owned by a 65-year-old majhi mama named Barek Howlader
Having Iftar on the Buriganga might sound unappealing, as the river has suffered due to pollution. The water has turned dark and carries an unpleasant smell due to the effects of urban development. We also had doubts; however, the trick is simple—the boat needs to cross Babubazar Bridge and reach a point before Sadarghat where the water is cleaner, and the smell is not as strong.
We hired the boat for Tk 200 per hour. The bargaining was intense, but since it was the Eid season, the farewas higher than usual. Once we were on board, we asked Barek mama to take us away from the banks of the river. Meanwhile, we spread the bedsheet on the boat and arranged all our iftar items within minutes.
We noticed the boats around us moving toward the banks very quickly, a clear sign that only a few minutes were left before the Maghrib adhan. There were only one or two boats nearby, carrying urgent passengers. One of the passengers gave us a thumbs-up and smiled in admiration.
The sky turned soft pink, and the cool breeze passing by made it feel like a moment you'd want to last forever. As the Maghrib adhan echoed from the nearby mosques, we started our iftar with Barek mama. The calmness around us made the iftar feel even more special.
As soon as we finished our iftar, the sky turned dark quickly. The moon shone brightly above us, and the lights from the shops along the riverbank reflected beautifully on the water.
Barek mama started sharing his story. He is a farmer from Barishal who came to Dhaka to work as a boatman, hoping to earn a little extra for Eid. He continued sharing his stories, and we listened in silence.
The experience overallwas unlike any other. The calmness of the river, the vibrant sunset, and the warmth of sharing iftar with others, made this iftar unforgettable. We found peace in the middle of the river—moments we'll hold onto forever.
Photo: Jawwad Sami Neogi
