Braving graft busters, few in Dhaka spread Eid cheer

By Rafiqur Rahman

DHAKA (Reuters Life!) - Showing off your wealth in Bangladesh these days could land you in trouble with the anti-graft commission, but that hasn't stopped a few rich businessmen from spreading festive cheer to the poor.

This week, majority Muslim -- and poor -- Bangladesh is due to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr feast which ends the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Rich Muslim Bangladeshis traditionally give out new clothes, gifts and cash to the vast numbers of needy who rely on these donations to celebrate the feast.

But this year, an anti-corruption drive by the interim army-backed government has put a damper on public displays of wealth and donations. More than 170 people, including politicians and sportsmen, have been detained since January.

Landlord Zahirul Hauqe was one of the few who braved the graft busters and kept up the tradition.

At his home on the outskirts of the city, women and children queued before dawn to take the new saris and lungis -- staple clothing items for women and men -- that he was giving out.

"We would have no Eid if we didn't get the clothes ... we are too poor to buy anything," said a 22-year-old woman who only gave her first name, Shahida.

"We've been waiting for hours, hoping for clothes as well as zakat," she said, joined in the queue by her mother and sister.

Zakat, or alms, is obligatory for wealthy Muslims. Many poor rely on these funds to survive for several months after the Eid.

"I am trying to do as much I can," Haque told Reuters. "But there are too many takers."

In the past, police were deployed around the homes of the wealthy to prevent scuffles from breaking out during the alms giving. This year, this precaution is not necessary.

Shopkeepers have also complained about slow sales during the key festive season as the big-buyers have largely kept away.