Udisa Islam (The article was originally published in dhakatribune)
When the Rohingya people were forcibly displaced and had to flee to Bangladesh in 2017, their initial Eid celebrations were filled with sorrow throughout the camp areas.
Having left their homes and finding themselves in a foreign land within a camp, there was no joy in Eid for them. Now, seven years later, the situation has changed.
On Eid day in the Rohingya camps, there is no longer the sound of crying during the Eid prayers, although there is still a sense of melancholy among the elders.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) arrange for animal sacrifices during Eid al-Azha in the camps.
The Rohingyas decorate the camps themselves, cleaning the prayer areas and sometimes cutting paper for decorations.
Overall, they spend Eid day and the following day in a festive mood. The elders in the camp mention that during Eid in Burma, they used to decorate the entire area with trimmings and cook various sweets.
They feel sorrowful thinking that their future generations will not witness such festivities.
Describing their first Eid, Rabeya Gulbahar, a resident of Camp 4, said: “I never imagined spending Eid in such a confined area without relatives and in sorrow. There was a congregation for Eid prayers back then, but there was no one who did not break down in tears. Thousands of Rohingya Muslims participated in prayers in mosques, pleading to Allah to return home.
Now, after all these years, we understand that there is no way to go back even if we wanted to. So now we try to spend the day well with our children. We have new relatives now. We visit from one camp to another. There are opportunities to cook nice dishes. We have adjusted.”
Excitement inside camp
Balukhali camp shopkeeper Baytul shared stories of teenage girls’ excitement around Eid.
He mentioned that there is no one who does not buy henna for Eid. Compared to other times, he has to stock three times as much henna.
Pointing out that teenage girls are the main customers, Baytul said that Rohingya girls wear henna all year round, and it is an essential part of their adornment, especially during Eid.
However, this was not seen in the first two years. At that time, people were worried about their homes and themselves. Now they have adapted here.
A significant part of the teenage girls’ Eid celebrations in the camps involves applying henna to each other and buying various beauty items.
Rukaiya, who came to Kutupalong market to buy henna, had henna on her hands. Even then, she was buying more henna from the shop.
When asked whom she was buying for, she said she would buy ten pieces from here and sell them inside the camp for Tk10 more each. Two pieces would be for her three sisters to apply.
Cuisine
Before the distribution of sacrificial meat reaches every home, some meat is bought for lunch. If nothing else, at least chicken is arranged for the day.
Various homemade sweets are also prepared. However, due to the rationing system for gas usage, they have to refrain from cooking as much as they want.
For the past week, cattle and goats have been bought and sold around the camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar.
Subsequently, some community leaders were seen buying animals from the markets. However, this year, NGOs have arranged for more than 22,000 animals to be sacrificed.
Shamsud Douza, additional refugee relief and repatriation commissioner (ARRRC), said: “Usually, Islamic foreign organizations play a significant role. This year, they have arranged for more than 22,000 cattles to be sacrificed for all the camps. Additionally, Turkish NGOs are expected to provide packaged meat the day after Eid. Overall, they remain in a festive spirit during Eid.”
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