Amdadul Haque
Buying and selling of Iftar items across the country continues with hardly any regard to hygiene and social distancing measures, despite a worsening novel coronavirus crisis.
The Iftar market scenarios in all metro cities are totally different wherein people stand alongside each other and market.
Most shops were closed due to coronavirus. So, like in other years, this year's Iftar festival was also quiet. But after a few days of Ramadan, the Iftar market has been started on a limited scale across the country including the capital. The Iftar markets have sprung up in nearly all the alleys, and there is no social distancing.
However, restaurants have been allowed to sell Iftar items during Ramadan amid the Covid-19 pandemic, while health experts have advised people to depend on homemade food as the items from the eateries can be a means of coronavirus transmission.
They think the deadly coronavirus can spread everywhere -- from making to delivery-- of the Iftar items at the restaurants if proper safety measures and health hygiene are not maintained.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) allowed shops and restaurants to sell Iftar items on condition that vendors and consumers would follow hygiene and a safe distance.
But during a visit to some restaurants, it was seen many of those making and delivering the Iftar items were not properly using gloves and masks while they were touching the food repeatedly with hands posing a risk of virus transmission.
Customers were also seen buying Iftar items from eateries flouting guidelines on social distancing, and touching the food with bare hands. However, some were seen abiding by the directives while others did not pay heed to them.
Crowds are found in all of the markets. Buyers gather around vendors’ stalls, and even do not keep any physical distance with each other and move without masks. There seems no fear or fright among them. People are hanging masks around the neck and they do not maintain physical distancing.
Kamal Husen,sitting with Iftar items at Jatrabari, said, "I also have the fear of death. I understand everything. But I am living a dehumanized life with my family, so I am forced to sell these.” Asked about social distancing, he said, “I tell customers, stand a little farther. But who cares.”
Manik Mia, a restaurant owner from Sylhet said, “The hotel has been closed for about a month and a half. There are no employees. I have family. The savings are all exhausted. I sell by sitting in front of my restaurant with home-made Iftari items like jillapi, chola, beguni and bundia. I can't sit for long. The police come and chase me away.”
Ishrat Hasan, a student of Daffodil University, said, “I am stuck in lockdown. There is no way to go home. The maid does not come properly. If these shops do not sell, we will die without eating. After fasting all day, I buy chola and muri from these shops and take my Iftar.”
About social distancing, she said, “Everyone needs to be aware of this. I'm standing a little further away while shopping. But if another comes and stands close to me, what can I do.”
Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said, “people need to stay at home as much as possible during Ramadan as the asymptomatic Covid-19 patients are growing now.
Those fasting should maintain health hygiene and take normal and digestive food. They should also take homemade iftar on safety grounds."
Medicine specialist, Dr Zakir Hussain said, “taking Iftar items from restaurants is not safe now. Most restaurants in our country keep their Iftar items open while their staff and customers touch those unsafely and this is how the virus can be spread."
"People can buy Iftar items from the eateries where all staff strictly follow health hygiene, use safety gear and keep their food in packets. But such restaurants are very rare in the city. So, we think no one should now take restaurant food," he said.
Iftar items are available at affordable prices in these roadside shops in towns. Price of Jilapi 120 to 200 taka per kg, peyaju, beguni and alur chop 5 taka per piece, vegetable pakora 10 taka, vegetable roll 20 to 30 taka, chola 140 taka per kg, bundia 250 taka, halim 200 to 350 taka per liter and borhani per liter 70 taka.
Amid a different reality caused by deadly coronavirus outbreak, countrywide lockdown, restriction on mass gatherings and congregational prayers, the month of Ramadan provides an opportunity to Muslims to deal with the pandemic in its spirit.
Islamic scholars suggest that Muslims stay at home and pass time in various religious activities. They suggest that the government strictly enforce the shutdown, social distancing rules, and ban any kind of Iftar party or religious gathering as people tend to indulge in extravagance and gather at markets in this month ignoring its true essence.
AIG of Police (Media and Public Relations) Sohel Rana told the media the police are working to maintain social distancing and to ensure that people stay in their homes to prevent coronavirus infection. Policemen are presently assisting consumers in complying with government directives and hygiene measuresin this regard, he added.
