IN NORMAL TIMES, Chawkbazar in the heart of old Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is heaving during Ramadan, the Muslim month of prayer, daytime fasting and night-time feasting which began a week ago. Thousands of street hawkers sell biryani, kebabs and jilapis-sticky spirals of deep-fried batter, drenched in syrup, that most Bangladeshis consider essential for iftar, the evening meal breaking the day's fast. But this year Chawkbazar is nearly deserted. The few vendors who attempt to set up are chased off by baton-wielding soldiers. And at home nearby, Nuzhat, who prides herself on her cooking, is making jilapis for the very first time, because the family's favourite sweet shop is closed. Asked how they taste, her husband, Tarif, will not pass judgment. If he did, he adds in a grave aside, "My wife would kill me." Bangladesh, like other Asian countries with large Muslim populations, has announced restrictions on the celebration of Ramadan to contain the covid-19 epidemic. The government, which in early April urged people to stay away from mosques and pray at home, has become more specific for Ramadan, restricting attendance at prayers to 12. In Malaysia the government recently extended its lockdown to mid-May. On the eve of Ramadan, the prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, claimed the jihad against the pandemic was achieving results but that the country must keep up its guard. Mosques are live-streaming worship. Zakat, the alms all Muslims are supposed to donate, is collected at drive-throughs and online. Singapore has closed mosques until further notice.
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