Growing up as a child in the 90s, Eid for me was something I looked forward to almost a year in advance. I would start the countdown in the beginning of Ramadan. Going shopping with my parents for new clothes and shoes and watching them buy gifts for the rest of the family would make me impatient for the big day. The residents of Dhaka weigh in on their Eid plans and expectations.
I have O-levels exams during Eid. Firstly, like every year, I wish to be spending this Eid with my family (that is, my mom, my dad and my sister). We’ll probably be in Dhaka this year due to my exams so I suppose we will go out for dinner or some other activities together.
—Sameeha Nur, Scholastica School
The day will start with Eid prayer with abbu and then breakfast with the whole family. At noon we will go to our fuppi's place to have lunch and spend some time with cousins. After that I'll meet my close friends at a restaurant for a hangout. Then the whole family will come to my home as we always have a big get-together at my place for dinner every Eid.
—Azwad Nazran Haider
Coming from an extended family residing in Dhaka, I never really got the taste of spending an Eid outside the town or without the family. Needless to say, it's going to be the same this time around too. And as for Eid shopping, I prefer to not go overboard with fads.
—Faiza Iqbal
I have been celebrating Eid in Dhaka for as long as I can remember. This year is not going to be an exception either. My day starts by having breakfast with my family for which I am forced to wake up early in the morning. Later on, my parents and I visit our relatives. There are a handful of houses where we have to pay mandatory visits on Eid day. The evening is usually when I head out with my friends and struggle to find a place where we could all sit and chat.
—Paromita Tariq
