At the Bangla Bazar Jame Masjid — one of Parkchester’s many mosques — dozens of worshippers recently gathered in prayer for a packed service in observance of Ramadan.

“This is the month to purify yourself,” neighborhood resident Mohammad Azad said.

What You Need To Know

At the Bangla Bazar Jame Masjid and other mosques in the Parkchester section of the Bronx, worshippers pack prayer services in observance of Ramadan, which began on Feb. 17

Every night at sunset, those who observe Ramadan look forward to breaking their daily fast for a meal called iftar

A 2023 Data USA survey of Bronx Community District 9, which includes Soundview and Parkchester, found that more than 9,000 residents in the area were born in Bangladesh

Azad says since the holy month of Ramadan began on Feb. 17, he’s been going to the mosque on Odell Street five times a day to build piety and seek mercy and forgiveness from his god Allah.

“He gives us the chance to come back to him,” Azad said. “We pray. We abandon those things we shouldn’t have done in our lives, those harmful things.”

Every night at sunset, Methila Hossain and her husband Bill Hossain look forward to breaking their daily fast during Ramadan for a meal called iftar. They say whenever possible, they prefer to eat their first bite of food in more than 12 hours at a community gathering, instead of at home.

“We enjoy it,” Methila Hossain said. “And we see our friends, everybody comes here.”

“It’s always a congregation,” Bill Hossain added. “We see each other and we share the love and excitement of this month.”

He believes the strict fast during the month of Ramadan allows families to reconnect in ways that they may not make time for during the rest of the year.

“For example, in a regular household, you have like six to eight people in a house,” he said. “Everyone has their own time of going to school, somebody going to work. But in the month of Ramadan, they make sure they all come together and break fast as a family, at the table, for those 30 days.”

A 2023 Data USA survey of Bronx Community District 9, which includes Soundview and Parkchester, found that more than 9,000 residents in the area were born in Bangladesh.

“This community is really strong, really good, really supportive,” Azad said.

And with the majority of Parkchester’s Bangladeshi community identifying as Muslim, many find it comforting to live in a tight-knit community where the sacrifices and joys of Ramadan can be shared.

“Very important thing,” Azad said. “As a Muslim, what is our last destination we have to go to? Go back to Allah. So if we die, what are we bringing with us? Nothing, right? Except our good deeds.”

“This is the place where you can do good deeds,” Azad added. “You can pray.”