Tailors typically enjoy star status at this time of the year. Besides your regular tailor, who takes your bespoke orders for dresses; there are tailors for upholstery work, who are no less busy and sought after now. And an honourable mention must be given to tailors sitting under a tree with a sewing machine to do your odd tailoring jobs — they too are in the limelight now.

Come, Ramadan, your toxic relationship with your favourite year-round tailor reaches an all-time high. The first day of Ramadan is too late for any order, whether for dressmaking, curtains, or sofa fittings. Your dearest tailor, who is always on your speed dial, will refuse to acknowledge you, ditching you without thinking twice.

Such is my case now. Though I have a 'Mr. Fixit' for all kinds of jobs, be it electricians, plumbers, fishmongers, locksmiths, blacksmiths, painters, or carpenters to make sure I am never in a fix, so naturally, I have seamsters for all sorts of tailoring tasks in this list. But they are all unreachable, out of network coverage, or cannot hear me for 'poor reception reasons.'

All this, because I took a courageous trip to Islampur for furnishing shopping, just a dawn before Ramadan. That experience is another story all together. Giving myself all the credit for being on time this year, I called my furniture upholsterers — Rokon Uddin, my curtain maker; Golam Mostafa, who is for sofa covers; and Masud, for beddings, to place a few orders before Eid.

Rokon, the otherwise gentle lad, told me flatly that I would get my order after Eid. I knew he was kidding, but when he showed me his order list, and that the curtain makers in his factory were doing double shifts, I was scared. I eventually bullied him into accepting and stuck a deal that I would wait till Chand Raat, which is the eve of Eid day and is almost 28 days away, he kind of agreed, saying "Please do not be offended if I fail," leaving my nerves in tatters.

Rokon's cart near Lalmatia is rolling year-round; he sells readymade curtains from Tk 250 to Tk700 per piece, depending on the quality of the fabric provided, which he avails from places like Gazipur, Tongi, etc.

Golam Mostafa, on the other hand, says his orders have decreased in number due to people ordering online, but he has fixed clients, like me, who give customised orders.

"But this time of the year, I have one or two made-to-order jobs in a week," Mostafa says.

Masud Miah, who has a sewing machine on the roadside near Jasim Uddin in Uttara, has young girls coming in for their dress alter orders, petticoats, burqa, or blouse making. I haunt him for my pants and pj length shortening, cutting off the sleeves of something or the other, and then making personalised tea cozy, shopping bags, and quilted potholders with those rags. There is reason for him to shun me, especially now, when his otherwise dull trade is on demand.

Every trade in Dhaka is now geared towards Eid showdown, and all of us who fancy home décor ensure that our houses too, look impeccable and inviting for the festival. New linings and paddings, cushion covers, plants, etc. — every minute detail is taken care of, and all these planning and prepping begin as early as the first day of Ramadan.

Dhaka's narrow alleys and posh thoroughfares see peaked activities now, the small-time local garment businesses and furniture furnishings shops give out subcontracts to tailoring sweatshops and embroiderers on the outskirts of the city like Kerniganj, Badda, Tongi, Uttara, Mirpur, to meet the demands for Eid sales.

For the festival razzmatazz to shine these tailors are like the shoemaker's elves, toiling through late nights to make your festival a happy one. Kindly give them their due regard this time around.

Photo: LS Archive