KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14: In Muslim households across Asia, the inflation is casting a shadow over Ramazan, and making Iftar a more meagre affair.

From Afghanistan to Malaysia, the high prices of food are forcing the poor to go without, and curtailing the lavish evening buffets which the well-off have flocked to in better economic times.

In markets and bazaars, the mood is sombre as traders complain they have few customers, as people cut back on treats and delicacies.

“Our business strategy this year is just to stay afloat,” said Azahari Wahab as he prepared ‘ikan bakar’ barbequed fish over a wood fire at a Ramazan street market in Kuala Lumpur.

“I have been trading in bazaars for the past 20 years and this is the worst year for me. We usually prepare about 100 kilogrammes of fish a day but this time it is down to 30-40 kilos,” he said.

As well as the lack of customers, he said the price of ingredients had risen “more than 100 per cent”, as he packed a cooked fish heaped with spicy dressing in a banana leaf.

In Afghanistan, the markets are packed with festive foods but the price of wheat alone has doubled over the past year and few can afford the pickles, sweets and special breads.

“We didn’t have enough food before Ramazan anyway. For us, it’s the same,” said bus driver Mohammad Gul. “For the poor, it’s always Ramazan.”

“The food prices are very high,” said civil servant Ghulam Haidar in Kabul. “It’s very difficult for poor people to buy them... the prices are scary.”

Indonesia saw a spike in the price of food in the lead-up to Ramazan, putting pressure on families already hit hard by sharp rises in subsidised fuel prices.

“I used to serve dessert for my family to break the fast before we had the main meal consisting of rice. But as everything has become very expensive we can’t afford it anymore,” said Nena, a mother of six.

In Bangladesh, the government set up 7,500 special markets in the lead-up to Ramazan, selling subsidised rice and other staples as the country grapples with food prices 45.5 per cent higher than a year ago. “We’ve tried not to put up prices of common items so that poor people will still come,” stallholder Mohammad Shukkor Miah said at Chawkbazar in the old quarter of Dhaka.

The purchase of new clothes for Eidul Fitr has been one of the first things to be sacrificed by the families battling the tough economic times.

“We are not getting good response this year. There is a drastic decline of customers in bazaars,” said Irfan Beg, owner of a large garment store in Islamabad. “Last year we had to hire extra salesmen to meet the Eid rush but there are very few customers in the market this year. People say they cannot buy traditional Iftar items, how can they think of the Eid luxuries?”

While national leaders and newspaper editorials recommend the faithful hold more simple celebrations this year, some feel that financial constraints should be put aside during the holy season.

“What is Eid without the food, cookies and clothes? It is a time to celebrate and thank Allah for his blessings,” said Raina Samat, a 23-year-old sales assistant in Kuala Lumpur.—AFP