As the sun dips below the skyline, the city begins its nightly transformation. The call to Maghrib echoes through streets, smells of street food and excitement of the children for iftar are passed around while the families gather to break their fast. Yet alongside the flicker of kitchen lights and mosque lanterns, another glow is just as visible, the soft light of smartphone screens. In modern Bangladesh, Ramadan no longer unfolds solely at home or in mosques. Now it extends into digital spaces, bridging distance, connecting communities, and reshaping traditions.

Digital kitchens: Old recipes, new platforms

For generations, Ramadan in Bangladesh centred around handwritten recipe books, bustling kitchen preparations, and neighbourhood markets filled with contemporary iftar dishes. While those traditions remain vibrant, social media now plays a noticeable role in shaping iftar tables. Ruma, a mother of two in Old Dhaka, says, “We tried a jilapi recipe from TikTok. My kids are excited to try something new every evening and we watch online tutorials together. It makes the month more interactive and joyful.” Social media has become an informal cooking school. From step by step tutorials for traditional dishes to modern twists, online content allows families to innovate while staying rooted in Ramadan heritage. For many, platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook do not replace tradition rather they expand it.

Charity goes digital

That blending of old and new extends beyond the kitchen. As families experiment with recipes, they are also reshaping how they practice generosity. The digital shift is even more visible in acts of charity, a central pillar of Ramadan. Traditionally organised through mosques and community leaders, charitable initiatives are now engaged through Facebook posts, Instagram stories, and WhatsApp groups. A single post can mobilise donations within hours. Farhana, a young content creator, dedicates her Ramadan posts to verified fundraising campaigns. “People donate through mobile banking apps and ask how they can volunteer,” she says. Digital payment systems have made this possible. 

Mobile financial service providers such as bKash and Nagad report a 30–40% surge in transactions during Ramadan (bKash Annual Report, 2025), reflecting how charity has become increasingly digitised. Mohammad Rafique, a volunteer who organises iftar distributions in Dhaka, shares, “We receive donations from across the country, even from Bangladeshis living abroad. Volunteers contact us after seeing our posts. This has made our work faster and more transparent.” In this way, screens act as bridges between intention and action, amplifying generosity.

Students away from home

A true essence of Ramadan is felt when the families gather at home. But not everyone can experience Ramadan at home. Thousands of university students observe Ramadan away from their loved ones. Hostel life presents a different rhythm of Ramadan -- practical, fast paced, and often emotionally distant. Afeefah, a second year student at University of Dhaka, says, “I don’t have the kitchen or family environment to cook traditional iftar. Social media has become my guide. Following local chefs and influencers, my friends and I try recipes together in the common kitchen. Watching videos of families preparing meals makes me feel connected to home and the city’s Ramadan spirit.” In this context, Adnan, a third year student at the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), shares a slightly different experience. “Even though the university provides iftar, it doesn’t feel the same without my family. I miss our meal preparation and conversations. I watch videos of meal preparations, follow live streams of Taraweeh prayers, and chat with my family. Social media keeps me emotionally close to them, letting me feel part of their Ramadan from afar.” In this way, social media becomes more than entertainment. It becomes emotional infrastructure, sustaining bonds across physical distance.

Balancing work and fasting

The experience is again different for working professionals, whose Ramadan unfolds between office deadlines and evening traffic jams. For many in Dhaka’s corporate and government sectors, fasting is balanced with long commutes, meetings, and productivity targets. Sabiha Rahman, a marketing executive in a private firm in Motijheel, says, “Most of the days I’m still stuck in traffic when Maghrib approaches. There have been days when I broke my fast in the car with a bottle of water and a date.” Yet even in these rushed conditions, digital tools help her stay connected. “I follow short Islamic reminders during lunch breaks and donate to charity through mobile banking apps because I don’t always have time to attend events physically,” she says. For her, Ramadan becomes a balance between professional responsibility and spiritual commitment sustained in part by the accessibility of online platforms.

Spirituality in the digital age

Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, and digital platforms are increasingly central to that experience. YouTube lectures, Facebook Live sermons, and short Islamic reminders circulate widely throughout the month. Students like Sania, who balance exams and religious observance, find these resources accessible and flexible. “Sometimes I can’t attend every religious gathering, but I can listen to scholars online while studying,” she says. Religious institutions and independent scholars have adapted to this digital audience, recognising that online engagement ensures broader participation, particularly among younger generations.

An evolving tradition

Even Dhaka’s street vendors notice how digital trends influence physical spaces. Farid, an iftar seller near Chowkbazar, observes that customers often arrive after seeing food posts online. “They take photos before eating,” he says with a smile. He also shares, “If it looks good online, more people come the next day.” This way, social media has turned everyday Ramadan snacks into shareable experiences, amplifying local food culture rather than diminishing it. 

Taken together, these shifts reveal a Ramadan that is evolving rather than eroding. The core values like fasting, prayer, generosity, and togetherness remain intact. What has changed is the medium through which they are expressed. In a country where over 75% of the population now uses the internet (BTRC, 2025), digital platforms have become extensions of kitchens, mosques, and charity centres.

Today, Ramadan lives simultaneously in crowded markets and quiet hostels, in neighbourhood mosques and on mobile screens. The lantern still glows at sunset but beside it, so does the phone carrying forward a tradition that adapts with every generation.

Sumaiya Ferdous is an undergraduate student majoring in Biotechnology at Brac University. She can be reached at [email protected]. 

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