Eid Congregation
Some to seek blessings, some to beg alms
City dweller heading to the mosque or eidgah with family members early on the Eid day morning to attend the Eid congregation is a common scenario. Thousand of beggars go there too, but with a different purpose altogether.
They gather in front of different mosques in numbers not to pray, but to beg. From the early morning, they engage in a competition to secure a better location to maximise the day’s earnings.
As Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of the Muslims, approaches nearer, city dwellers are busy planning for the day while beggars in the town are preparing to capitalise on the occasion to earn a handsome amount of money.
“I’ll try to come to Karwan Bazar Jam-e Masjid early in the morning as it’s tough to find a suitable place due to gathering of other beggars and slum dwellers,” said Hamid Ali, a middle-aged beggar.
A group of beggars who beg in Karwan Bazar and Sonargaon crossing round the year said they plan to go to different mosques and other prayer grounds hopping to earn more.
Abdur Rahman, who begs in Uttara, said he will go to Uttara mosque in Sector-3. “Rich people pray there, and they give pretty good money,” he said.
Physically impaired Afzal, however, has an income target even higher and he wants to make it from the National Eidgah Maidan where the capital’s main Eid congregation is held.
Asked why he has chosen this ground, he said renowned people offer their prayers here and they give good amount of money. He earned Tk 300 last year in the morning alone.
Beggars in the city usually earn higher in the month of Ramadan as many people consider it a duty to help the poor during this time.
Many beggars and poor people from rural area come to Dhaka during this month to earn more money, a number of beggars said.
Aminul, one such beggar, came to Dhaka from Mymensingh last week with an aim to earn enough money to build a makeshift house in his village.
While begging in front of Bashundhara City at Panthapath yesterday, he said the money he earned in just one week is double of what he earned in the first 20 days of Ramadan in Mymensingh.
He will return home a day before Eid, he said.
However, many of them have a harsh reality to share. For them Eid does not bring any meaning other than creating a scope to earn some extra money.
