SUKANTA HALDER, MAHMUDUL HASAN and ABU TALHA

It is not any other Eid for many middle and lower-middle income families. They are cutting down expenses for the festival in the face of spiralling living costs.

But the prices of almost all essentials have gone up and to cope, the families are spending less on sacrificial animals, moving to cheaper homes, cutting down protein intake, and even selling off belongings.

The salary of Mamunur Rashid, who works for a private company, increased by Tk 3,000 over the last one year but his monthly expenses went up about Tk 7,000 beyond his pay cheque.

He borrows Tk 7,000 every month.

Rashid, the lone breadwinner for his family of four, said he dropped plans for sacrificing animals this Eid. He used to sacrifice one head of cattle every year sharing the costs with a few others.

“I am keeping no stone unturned to reduce the cost of living. For example, I used to go to work on ride-sharing motorbikes, but now I take a bus.”

Despite all his efforts, paying for his children’s education is still difficult. “I can’t reduce my children’s school costs even if I want to.

“I won’t buy anything new for me or my wife this Eid. I am planning to buy some clothes only for my boy and girl.”

“I now realise that we will have to go through even more difficult days ahead as prices of essential commodities are rising,” Rashid added.

For years, Ziaur Rahman Bulbul, a phone repair shop owner of Shyamoli, had been sharing sacrificial bulls with a friend.