An Eid that gave Basar a revelation

Eid is often painted with joy and celebration, but for actor Khairul Basar, it has also been a time of quiet reflection—a mix of happiness, struggle, and life lessons.

“One Eid that stayed with me was around 2000,” he recalls. “I was quite young, and our family wasn’t in a financially great position at that time. My elder brother bought some Eid groceries with the money he earned from giving tuitions, and he also bought a panjabi for me. Since our sister was too young to understand, the gift was only for me. At that time, I was really happy. But as I grew up, that memory gave me many realisations about life, and even now, thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.”

Basar’s journey through Eid has often been bittersweet. “With the money I earned from one of my first jobs, I bought a harmonium,” he says. “Back then, my family wasn’t very supportive of my interest in music or acting, so buying it felt like a quiet victory for myself. But life had other plans—I had to sell it just two months later to pay my university fees. In 2013, I was working as a food court in-charge at Bashundhara before Eid, even doing overtime on the day itself. My mother was upset that I had to work through Eid. Looking back, it was a bittersweet time—full of struggle, but also growth.”

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This year, Basar will spend Eid away from his family, heading to Australia for a shoot. “Before making the decision, I spoke to my family. They told me that if I wanted to go, I should. That gave me the confidence to take this step,” he shares.

Even apart, the memories of those Eids—the gifts, the sacrifices, and the quiet victories—remain close to his heart, shaping how he cherishes the festival today.