The age of social media and influencers helped remind the rest of the world of a truth that Bangladeshis have always known: our cuisine is incomparably delicious. With globalisation hitting the major cities and bringing in cosmopolitan influences, finding those authentic deshi flavours becomes a little more of a treasure hunt.
When Ramadan arrives in Dhaka, it announces itself with the smell of fritters and roasted meats as iftar bazaar pop-ups begin to take over pavements and road-sides. When perusing the menu, one is met with exotic delicacies from the Mughal era and treats from the Middle East. Connoisseurs of local fare, however, will tell you that if you want something more authentically Dhakaiya, Puran Dhaka is still the place to go.
As a native of the old city, the award-winning photographer Mahmud Hossain Opu has been capturing the sights, sounds and flavours of his locality throughout his career. And while his images of political turbulence get picked up by international outlets, and his shots of fireworks and kite wars get splashed across Facebook cover photos across the nation, it is his ever-growing collection of iftar bazaar photos that has his heart.
“As a Puran Dhakaiya, the iftar bazaar is part of my muscle memory—the sounds, the rush, the smell of jilapi and beguni before sunset.”
What this seasonal market lacks in the polish and finesse of the newer parts of town, it more than makes up for with life and movement, and for those lucky enough to sample the wares, unbeatable flavours. Through Opu’s lens, the panorama of the jostling crowds, the piles of fritters and the colourful pots of spices take on a life of their own.
“Photographing it feels less like observing and more like returning home. Through my lens, I see not just food, but survival, faith, and shared waiting. Every frame carries the urgency of Ramadan evenings in Dhaka.”