Rafiqul Alam, owner of Gramin Dry Cleaners in Savar, became the talk of the neighborhood today after he sold his cherished Burberry-style muffler to distribute biryani in honor of the Chief Adviser’s birthday.
“I wore that muffler every winter since 2019,” said Rafiqul, adjusting his now scarf-less collar. “But today felt bigger than personal comfort. I wanted people to eat and remember the silent strength of our leader.”
The biryani, served from aluminum pots on borrowed tables, was simple but heartfelt. Locals queued up with tiffin boxes, plastic plates and even polythene bags. Some said it reminded them of birthdays past.
“He could’ve just posted a Facebook status like everyone else,” said a tea seller named Kalam. “But this… this has meat in it.”
“He may be a dry cleaner, but today he pressed our hearts,” said Anis Mahmud, a local house help who collected two packets. “My son asked who this man is. I told him: he’s a fan who gave something up.”
The muffler, reportedly a Burbely knockoff bought from a New Market winter sale, had long been Rafiqul’s signature accessory. Critics once mocked it during a Facebook debate, accusing him of “overdressing”
But today, nobody laughed.
“I’ll buy another one next year, Inshallah,” Rafiqul said, ladling out the last portion. “But this biryani? It had to happen now.”
