Toronto Journal
Little Bangladesh
Man is said to be a social animal, and sometimes he thrives best in his own peculiar social setting. Among Toronto's one million South Asian community is a thriving community of entrepreneurial folks from Bangladesh who have set up a bustling business scene and community space at Danforth, Toronto. "Little Bangladesh," as it is generically termed by Torontonians, is that stretch of road from Dawes road to Victoria Park Avenue where the entrepreneurial and social Bangladeshi spirit shines through. It is Ramadan and one fancies a bit of Iftari (that someone else has cooked)! Where does one go? It is off to the Makkah Restaurant at Danforth. On entering, one is surrounded by the aromatic blend of cinnamon and lemon flavour that arises from a nearby pot of haleem. The owner of Makkah restaurant, Mr.Hakeem, a simple man who started his business in a very small way, comes up and asks us what we would like to eat today. We order the Iftari dishes such as pakoras, chola, and haleem knowing well that he will always add an extra dish for "especial" customers! All of this is accompanied by fragrant cardamom spice tea and gulabjamun! Our appetites are satiated indeed! Does one have a need for prescription medicine? Then it is off to Desh Pharmacy at Danforth. Mr. Konon started his business in 2006 and has not looked back since. It is thriving under the patronage of local Bangladeshis. They even have home deliveries that are made in record time. As Danforth is surrounded by apartment buildings with many Bangladeshi families, the Desh Pharmacy is always bustling with customers. Sometimes people just drop in to chat - this reminds one of the pharmacy shops near the old PG Hospital in Dhaka where half the people in the shops were just engaging in adda over a cup of tea. On a given evening, strolling down Danforth, ones spies grocery shops vying each other for the discerning Bangladeshi customer. There are Shahjalal and Marhaba stores (both owned by Sylhetis) that one can pop into if one fancies a crash course in the spoken dialect. Nestling side by side are the DVD shops and stores selling saris and shalwar kameezes. There is even a beauty parlor in the corner, but most of the Bangladeshi ladies confess that they prefer to go to a neighbour's "At-home-Parlor" to get their hair done, and have henna put on it. There are even the little coffee shops, which the local young men frequent for the deshi newspapers and adda over hot patties, cream rolls and hot sugary tea. Besides these services, there are small businesses offering academic tutoring, and Quran classes for children, driving lessons, financial services, and brokerage and real estate consultancy. There is also the Bangladeshi Canadian Community Services Association at Danforth, which is assisted by Canadian Government funding and has ran programs at Danforth to assist in the employment of new Bangladeshi immigrants as well as help families with domestic issues. The harsh reality behind this bustle, this hub of activity, is the cold fact that many of these qualified immigrants did not find the jobs that they had once envisaged on immigrating and instead turned to small business and entrepreneurship to survive on an "unaccustomed earth". And in doing so, they have created a home away from home for themselves and for the local Bangladeshiborn immigrants. Bengalis and culture are undeniably entwined and so there are cultural functions such as Pahela Boishakh that are held yearly on the Danforth. The street is cordoned off and there is a magical transformation as Bangladeshi vendors set up colourful food stalls on either side of the mela and the evening air rings out with the voices of young artists singing Boishaikhi songs. At any given moment, on one of these occasions, as I looked across the sea of faces raised upwards, ears straining for the sounds of Tagore, I could not help but sense the quiet euphoria of this crowd as they listened to the sweet sounds of home far, far away from home.
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