Bangladesh Independence Day: remembering those who have fallen
A Nation Declaring Independence: March 26
Bangladesh Independence Day came after a long ongoing struggle for recognition of the Bangla language and culture for East Pakistanis, who were ethnically Bengali. Pakistan made Urdu the official language, prompting outrage from Bengalis. This meant an erasure of not only language but also people, a majority who only spoke Bengali or Bangla. Furthermore, the lack of representation in government prompted the people of East Pakistan to seek independence.
On March 25, 1971 the Pakistani government began a mission called Operation Searchlight, seeking out Bengali intellectuals and politicians to crush the movement of Bengali resistance. That led to the first formal call for independence by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Bangladesh during the early hours of March 26 via radio - after calling for non-violent pushback a few weeks earlier. More than three million Bengalis died in this liberation war.
Bangladesh celebrates its Victory Day on Dec. 16.
Halal Charcuterie boards are popular during Ramadan
This week I spoke to Brian Mackey about my experiences fasting as a kid, not having halal food for school lunches and the growing trend of halal charcuterie boards in the U.S. Halal food preparation is in accordance with Islamic dietary laws. The halal charcuterie boards, or grazing tables, are popular options for Ramadan and Eid parties.
Are you looking for a place to start or break fast in Metro Detroit? Look no further.
During Ramadan, Muslims are often looking for places to pick up foods for suhoor, or sehri, the morning meal before fasting, and places to break fast for iftar. Eater Detroit’s Serena Marie Daniels compiled this list of places to check out.
This year more food trucks are popping up in Dearborn, outside of the Ramadan Suhoor Festival, at Trucks Park. Owner Mohamed Beydoun says he’s trying to create a permanent fixture for food trucks to set up shop in the city. Meanwhile, Dearborn has its own Ramadan Nights with a lineup of food trucks every Thursday-Saturday from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. throughout the month of Ramadan until April 21.
Try this sticky rice with mango recipe
Growing up in a Bangladeshi home meant eating rice during sehri, the predawn meal during Ramadan. While I never imagined my kids enjoying some of the foods I did, one dish we especially enjoy is Biron baath, sticky rice with mangoes or bananas, and hot milk. Some call this “dood khola” or “am di baath.”
“My parents would say, “If you didn’t eat rice, did you even eat at all?” It was one of the ways they held onto and passed on culture to their kids, who were growing up in the United States. That’s something I care about, too.”
Now my second-generation Bangladeshi American kids are enjoying this meal.
Check out the story and recipe here.