Dhaka, Nov. 20 -- Many years -more than 60- years ago I howled and wept on the eve of Eid because I hadn't got a new kurta. Amazing as it seemed, my father got out the jeep car we had and took the entire family to Chawk bazar - then heart of the shopping city- and in the middle of midnight brought me one. The market was booming and growling and full of people. My father met a friend, a rich man- who was buying his wife some jewelry as Eid gift. I had wondered if the lady had thrown a tantrum like me. The divide between Chawkbazar and Dilu Road where we lived was not much. My maternal grandparents were cooking a feast when we returned home. It took 90 minutes max to go, shop and return. Chawkbazar was once almost next door.

In the days of...