Dhaka University (DU) campus, especially Teacher-Student-Centre (TSC) of the university, is a public hotspot where any occasion or festival is celebrated amid fanfare and festivity in a harmonic atmosphere and obviously the month-long Ramadan is no different with due religious solemnity as well.

During Ramadan huge crowds, mostly young students, prefer DU campus with a view to having Iftar with their seniors, juniors and friends from early afternoon every day. Both former and current students from different departments and regions, also arrange the Iftar parties that give them an opportunity to get-together after a long time.

Besides students, visitors and various organisations, mostly based on different regions of the country, also arrange Iftar parities in small or large groups every day here on the
campus.

Although the largest gathering takes place on the TSC premises, some other places like VC Chattar (newly renamed Memory Eternal), arts faculty, business studies faculty, Modhur Canteen, Hakim Chattar, Curzon Hall and law faculty and Mohsin Hall premises witness groups of people, ready to have Iftar together.

Students of other institutions such as Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka College, Eden Women's College and different private universities in the city also arrange Iftar parties on the campus.

"It has been a tradition to arrange Iftar parties with friends, seniors and juniors in every year during Ramadan at the DU campus," said Noor-e-Russell, a master student of History Department at the university.

Almost whole campus takes a different look mostly from the afternoon when organisers come to the campus to select venue and collect Iftar items from the roadside vendors, dormitory vendors and from different well-known restaurants.
Most of the Iftar parties are arranged under the open sky and old newspapers are used as mattress to sit on. On the holidays, the gatherings increase in a large number.
Also the same situations were seen at almost all residential halls of university like Rokeya Hall, Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall, Bangladesh-Kuwait Moitree Hall and other male dormitories.
On Thursday (June 23), some students from different departments of the university who gathered on TSC auditorium premises said they took Iftar with their friends in a familiar environment.

"Although we have missed having Iftar with our family members, we enjoy it here with friends, seniors and juniors," said Mansura Alam, a third year student of Law Department at the university.

A local students' organization of Haluaghat Upazila under Mymensingh district at the university named 'Dhaka University Students' Association of Haluaghat (DUASH)' also arranged an Iftar party and fresher's reception at DU Surja Sen Hall cafeteria where university's current and formers students get an opportunity to get-together.

DUASH President Mozaharul Islam Shanto told the Daily Observer, "Every year we arrange Iftar party for reconnecting with former and current students of the university and receipting the fresher's students at the university comes from Haluaghat Upazila"

"It also creates an opportunity to meet near and dears after long time" he added

Besides arranging Iftar party and get-togethers, many social welfare organizations like Somajer Jonno Jagoron (SOJJON), a social welfare organization run by DU students works for underprivileged children, also distribute Iftar items among the street children.

Enamul Hoqu, Financial Convener of the organisation, told the Daily Observer, "We have been distributing Iftar items among the street children around the university since 2012."

"In this year, a total of 70 packets of Iftar were distributed among those children on Thursday at TSC area" he added.

Meanwhile, roadside canteen managers are doing a good business as people buy different popular items, including chhola, puffed rice, piyaju, beguni, samosa, jilapi and different fruits juices from here.

Ismail Hossain, an Iftar vendor at Bijoy 71 hall of the university, said, "I can make extra income during the Ramadan by earning extra Tk 3,000 every day by selling Iftar items."