RBR

“Cha ar biskoot” (tea and biscuits) is Bangalee’s favourite quick grab. And strong and flavoursome tea is our favourite. Looking for premium tea in Dhaka can be a tad difficult now but once the city boasted dedicated shops that sold different grades and blends of local tea.

A series of unfortunate incidents began just the day before Eid holidays started.

The sacrifice of animals on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha commemorates a sacrifice, which symbolises utmost loyalty and complete submission to the Almighty -- this is the first part of the Eid rituals.

Just a few kilometres off the city boundaries is a greener Dhaka. The colours and tempo of a busy market intrigues me with wafts of tea brewing in a soot-laden old kettle in a tea stall.

The sound of printing in a letterpress machine has a certain rhythm to it. The ink, which is evenly spread on the platen or the flat platform of the press; the wheels running while copies of an image are produced by repeated direct impression -- all have a nostalgic pull to this near obsolete technology.

Tiny round tables, wrought iron chairs with red seaters, a grand piano on lend from Notre Dame College, a tiny reading corner, a food counter, and the air that has a hint of freshly brewed coffee or tea make this eatery -- Café la Véranda -- inviting.

On any given Jaishtha or high summer day, fruit vendors ply the streets of the city selling delicious seasonal fruits. Jaishtha -- the second month of the Bangla calendar, is also called “mishtimash” or “madhumash” because of the wide array of fruits available during this time. It is as if the season compensates for the discomfort of the hot and humid climate with the sweetness of deshi fruits.

An act of kindness a day is what mental health counsellors suggest we do; we, the ones who find it difficult to navigate through life’s unforeseen situations. It can be something as trivial as leaving a bowl of water out for the birds, or buying something to eat/drink for the little girl selling jasmine garlands at traffic signals to make ends meet.

There is an undeniable charm associated with glass bangles, particularly during events like Pahela Baishakh. Traditionally sold by churiwalis, the craze for these colourful glass bangles died down in recent years as fashion changed.

“We hardly hear people talking about how lucky we are to be an independent nation. How incredible it is that we earned our freedom. Without understanding the trauma and struggles we endured to earn our freedom, the new generation cannot truly appreciate it.”

As Dhaka continues to tackle the woes of summer heat, the business of selling air conditioners, stand fans, table fans, and coolers has seen an obvious rise.

Dhaka is experiencing the worst possible heat wave and Dhakaites are all chalking out their best-known life hacks and household hacks to beat the heat.

The art scene of Dhaka is quite robust even though it is a challenging business -- one that needs to build a trusted rapport with the buyers. While art is food for your soul, selling artwork is what runs the show.

Mango is known as the king of fruits and justifiably so!

When your university courses come to an end and you are left with a few bundles of quality, loose sheets of paper, what do you do with it? Give it away, forget about it, or do you make a bespoke personalised notebook?

It is as if Dhaka has been sleeping for the last few days.

Most Dhakaites have a sweet tooth. We just cannot do without a sweet end to our meals, be it licking your fingers on Kashmiri mango achar, tomato chutney, or slurping up the daal (lentil soup) mixed with sweet, jujube and tamarind pickle.

Nawajesh Salahin Sunny’s fame was sitting at his factory in a zen-like state of mind amidst scattered wooden planks and huge containers. His craftsmen noisily worked all over the place; while he supervised the work being done to give the factory a showroom-like facelift.

Two-thirds of the Holy Month is over, and food prices are at an all-time high. Despite strict surveillance by magistrates to control price hikes and adulteration of food, this Ramadan, like always, traders are doing everything against the law.

Night-time shopping has a certain charm to it, almost a like starry-eyed rebellion. Come Ramadan, staying out late into the wee hours has almost become a trend for Dhakaites.