Millions of Bangladeshis spend Eid around the world away from home. For those who have just left the country, the first Eid away from home is particularly difficult than the ones who have made a little home in foreign land and enjoy Eid in their own ways.
Rasheek Tabassum Mondira, a graduate student at Boston University, was missing her home terribly on her first Eid away from home.
“This is the first time I'm away from my family and it hits hard. Eid doesn't really feel like Eid if you can't wake up to your mom's scrumptious delicacies or when your dad gives you salami even before asking. Maybe over time, it will feel more normal, but now, for the first time - it just feels like a regular day,” she added.
The situation of marine engineer Susmoy Ahmed, who right now is sailing over the Mediterranean Sea in a foreign merchant vessel of K-Line shipping company, is even dire.
“We’re spending Eid in the middle of the ocean where there's nothing but an endless stream of water, some known faces, and tons of nostalgia within,” said Susmoy.
He was also sharing what a regular Eid looks like on a trip around the seas.
Collected“As a professional mariner, our essential activities like navigation watch and urgent engine attendance do not stop. So, we have to take care of our duty and then start the festivity of Eid. We try to get a feeling like Eid by talking to our loved ones over the internet and reminiscing the eventful days of Eid back at home. Then, its back to work again,” he added.
Many expatriates manage to spend an eventful Eid day despite the sorrow.
“The best thing about spending Eid in a foreign country is that Muslims come under the same umbrella and non-Muslims also join the festivities. They get to learn about our diversity which makes our bond stronger,” said DS Sourav, an international postgraduate student at the University of East Anglia in the UK.
He expressed his mixed feelings about missing family and friends back in Bangladesh.
“I went to a nearby mosque with fellow Bangladeshi classmates and attended Eid prayer with nearly 200 people from different countries. The vibe of Bangladeshi clamour, food, and after prayer Eid fair is missing here,” he said.
