Chattogram tailors, designers race against the clock as Eid nears

Amid high workload ahead of Eid, over 12,000 tailoring shops and several thousands of tailors have been taking orders for dresses in Chattogram, sources from traders' association said, as city dwellers thronged the shops from the first week of Ramadan.

Among them, more than 6,000 tailors have been working day and night in Khalipha Pattee.

The most popular tailoring shops and fashion houses in the port city includes: Khwaja, Centaury, Elegant, Ferdous, Boro Shaheb, Choto Shaheb, Men's Club, I Fashion, Dorji Bari, Friends Tailors and Fabrics, Ibrahim Tailors and Fabrics, Sadia Ladies Tailors, Antora Ladies Tailors, Nure Ladies Tailors, Syma Ladies Tailors and Soudia Ladies Tailors. Most of the top tailoring shops in the port city are famous in the country.

Meanwhile, the elegant tailors in the city were taking orders for new dresses till Wednesday and the delivery of the orders will be made from the last week of the current month, owners of the tailors in the port city said.

Dr Jesmin Akter, teacher of BEPZA College Chattogram, said they have given the orders before Ramadan and now they are taking dresses from the tailoring shops of different shopping malls.

Nahida Akter, a housewife, said, they have been coming to the tailoring shops almost regularly as they gave some orders before Ramadan and will give some orders more.

She added that they are used to stich their dresses.

Saifuddin Khaled, a businessman, said they have given orders for pants to the tailors and are used to buy their shirts readymade. "Besides, we also buy our punjabi from punjabi shops."

Shahed Selim, owner of Khawaja Tailors and Fabrics, one of the elegant dressmaking brand in the port city, said they have stopped taking orders before Ramadan and they have been trying to satisfy their regular customers, number of whom is "almost fixed."

"Besides, we are completing the dresses of some new customers, who gave their order before Ramadan."

Workers in Khalipha Pattee, many of whom usually make women's and children's dresses have to deliver their order before Eid and they say that they have been working almost all the time of the day. Many of them also make men's clothing, which they deliver to the customers as per orders.

Md Imam Hossain, general secretary of Khalipha Pattee Merchant Welfare Association, said the tailors and designers of Chattogram are busy ahead of Eid as they work according to advance order. Noting that the quality of dresses made at Khalipha Pattee is very good, he added that the price of the garments are comparatively low.

Nurul Huda, a tailor working at Khalipha Pattee, said, "The tailors are very busy now. We are working almost 20 hours of the day. We are taking rest at the shops or factories as we have no time to go home during Ramadan."

Sarwar Alom, another tailor, said, "As we want to earn more before eid, we are working hard. Besides, I am happy to stitch new dresses for dwellers, who will be happy by getting new dresses on Eid. We, the tailors, are making Eid happy and colorful for the people."

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