A festive mood prevails at Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University in the evenings of Ramadan as numerous students, arrange iftar parties on the campus to break the daylong fasting together.
The Central Library premises, Jayadhani Mancha premises, Agnibina Hall premises, Central Field, Chakrabak Cafeteria, Chandrabindu Cafeteria, and several other places have seen large gatherings, with people sitting in circles, every evening since Ramadan began. Many iftar parties are arranged every day on the campus, with some being organised by different cultural, social, and political, employees, journalists, volunteers, and other organizations also arrange Iftar parties amid festivity on the campus. Especially, several district student welfare associations are at the forefront of arranging such activities, reads a press release.
Also, as part of the central iftar of the university authorities, iftar is organized for thousands of students in four residential halls.
Here everyone creates a feeling of togetherness and iftar becomes a moment of collective celebration, said Shahriar Shishir, General Secretary of the university’s SAVE-Youth chapter.
Roadside iftar sellers do a good business as people buy different popular items, including chhola, puffed rice, piyaju, beguni, samosa, jalebi and juices of different flavours, for iftar.
Also in the halls and dorms, students arrange iftar in their rooms.
Even though I miss home, it is a wonderful feeling to have Iftar together as a friend-junior-senior, which also deepens our mutual relationship, said Ashraful Islam Alif, a student of Public Administration and Governance Studies.
Like the males, female students also arrange iftar parties in the dorms and sometimes prepare different items themselves.
We are enjoying Ramadan in the dorm. We have actually mixed feelings during this time. We miss our home, but when roommates, seniors, and juniors got together, we felt that this was another home, which is actually an amazing feeling, said Nisat Anzum, a student of Local Government and Urban Development, who stays at Bangamata Hall.
Real Sarkar, a student of Bangla Language and Literature and also a BSL leader, has opened “Students’ League’s Mehman-Khana” and supports more than five hundred people which has already been widely appreciated. He said, “I believe that politics should be for the benefit of the people. Our activities will continue throughout the month of Ramadan. Everyone is our guest and anyone can collect iftar from our Mehman-khana”.
Masum Hawlader, Bangabandhu Hall provost, said, “Through this Iftar in Ramadan, mutual harmony and camaraderie increases within our university family. We are always with such arrangements”.