A Tea Stall in Bangladesh

A tea stall is a familiar sight in Bangladesh. It is a favorite haunt for all kinds of people. It is found in towns as in village markets. In a town it is usually situated by the side of narrow streets on footpaths of roads. The appearance of the stall has something in common. The shopkeeper sits at a table or on a chouki. Around him there are shelves in which there are jars (boiums) of biscuits, chanachur, buns, or other snacks. In front of the shop, bunches of banana are kept hanging on pieces of strings. A ‘boy’ prepares tea on an over which has either coal or twigs as fuel. The kettle is always on the oven, and water boils in it. Cups are kept on a table nearby, and a small pot of water for washing the cups and saucers. There are benches inside the shop room, and some benches are also outside it. Customers sit on the benches and order tea, and sometimes some tea things like biscuits, chanachur, and banana or buns. Almost all kinds of people are found at a tea stall. A tired rickshaw puller gets off his paddling seat, and has a quick cup of tea. Even educated people, rich people are sometimes found there who are in a hurry for some business, and have no time to look for a better place for tea. Sometimes gossip-mongers haunt the place, and engage in gossips. The tea stall remains busy from early morning till late night.