The most common item for Iftar

In the late 1970s, a trader in Tangail was selling stale dates on Eid day. An old man asked him how much the 'tamarind' cost, because that was what it looked like to him. The indignant trader exclaimed: "Bangalis do not even recognise dates from Arabia!"

‘Bangalis’ have come a long way since then! The dates are now a common household item, if not widely round the year, but certainly during Ramadan. In this Muslim-majority country, dates are on demand at Iftar when the daylong fast is comes to an end. It is almost unthinkable of having Iftar without dates.

This particular food item, the delicious date, has created a sort of global food culture that binds Muslims, whether in Bangladesh, northwest Africa or the Fareast countries like Indonesia and the Philippines. It is found its way around the world much like the the practice of Islam itself more than 1400 years ago.

“Break your fast by eating dates as it is purifying,” the Prophet of Islam Muhammad (peace be upon him) was quoted to have said. Mentioned many times in the verses of the Holy Quran, dates have been a common factor in the cultures of each Muslim country.

“An Iftar table does not look complete without dates. We always break our fast with dates,” said Monira Nasrin, a fashion designer of Mohammadpur.

According to the joint secretary of the National Imam Association of Bangladesh, Shaikh Muhammad Usman Gonee, having dates at Iftar is sunnat. "Muhammad (SAM) used to break his fast with dates,” he said.

Dhaka city's kitchen markets, especially the fruit stalls, have stocked up on dates of different varieties, quality and prices since the week before Ramadan.

Quality dates, according to sellers, include Dabbas, Sufri, Nagal, Farida, Marium, Kalmi and Mabroom. Another variety is Bangla khejur (dates).

Shafiur Rahman, a retired government officer, bought a kg of Marium dates for Tk 800 and a half kg of Ajwa dates for Tk 900, from a vendor, Md Hasan, at Afzal Fruit Store in the Town Hall kitchen market, Mohammadpur, on Thursday.

“We have been having dates during Ramadan since a long time. Dates contain vitamins and minerals,” Shafiqur, a Lalmatia resident, told Prothom Alo.

Asked why the prices are so high, a smiling Hasan said, “We could have sold them at lower price had we been able to collect them directly from the importers. We have to buy from the middle men.” He also blamed the long tailback on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway for the rising transport costs that increases the overall prices.

Aman Ullah, a trader who have been selling dates for 12 years in Karwan Bazar, elaborated about the prices of dates as of 17 May.

Bangla khejur was selling at Tk 100 a kg, Dabbas at Tk 220-240 a kg, Sufri at Tk 230-240 a kg, Nagal at Tk 180-200 a kg, Farida at Tk 260-270 a kg, Marium at Tk 800-900 a kg, Kalmiat Tk 750 a kg and Mabroom at Tk 900 a kg.

Mujibur Rahman, who lives in Eskaton of the capital city, bought one kg of dates for Tk 260. He remarked, “The prices are high this year.”

However, the high prices have hardly stopped the devoted Muslims from buying dates for Ramadan as the surging crowd in the market suggests.

“We eat dates at Iftar as it is healthy. It is sunnat to break fasts as the prophet Muhammad (SAM) used to eat dates,” said Tashaffi Samin, a student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), who went with her mother went to the Dhanmondi outlet of Meena Bazar on Thursday to purchase Iftar items, including a packet of dates.

An iccdr,b senior nutritionist, Tahmeed Ahmed, pointed out that dates not only taste sweet but are also full of energy. “The Muslims break their fast with dates as it raises blood sugar immediately,” he said, adding that it is also rich in carbohydrates, sugar, magnesium and potassium.

Bangladesh is entirely dependent on import of dates, brought from mainly from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, Tunisia, Algeria and Iran.

Around 5000-7000 tonnes of dates are normally consumed in the remaining months of the year, other than the Ramadan.

The demand for dates increases up to 35,000 tonnes in the one month of Ramadan, according to Sirajul Islam, general secretary of Bangladesh Fresh Fruits Importers Association.

"The people earlier consumed around 20,000 tonnes of dates during the Ramadan, but it has now increased. We have already imported around 40,000 tonnes of dates,” he said and claimed that the price was relatively lower this year.

Sirajul Islam added that eighty per cent of dates are imported from Iraq.

The date palm grows in abundance in the arid deserts of the Middle East where, as history says, the tree promised 'water, shade, rest and food to hungry travelers'.

*This piece has been rewritten and edited by Khawaza Main Uddin