Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
The shopping hubs in the capital were abuzz with city dwellers on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, who thronged there to buy their various desired items, as the Eid-ul-Fitr festival is knocking at the door.
Many buyers, accompanied by their near and dear ones, procured accessories, such as ornaments, cosmetics, perfumes, etc, to celebrate the largest religious festival of the Muslims.
The FE's visits to several shopping hubs, including Kawranbazar, Bashundhara City and Gulistan, revealed that a large number of customers were wandering across shops. The shops were full of inventories, while the consumers' hands were full of shopping bags.
Shovon Ahmed, a salesperson at a fashion outlet in Bashundhara City that sales local and imported three-pieces, said their sales have been satisfactory this year, especially for the last 8-10 days.
"Most of the service-holders have already received their festival bonuses. Even the fortunate ones have already got their salaries of March. These will help many to continue shopping without worries. We are now selling out products at minimum profits."
Pakistani dresses are selling most this year due to their quality as well as limited availability of alternative Indian dresses, he added.
The female customers, who have already bought their new clothes, are looking for accessories, such as ornaments, footwear and cosmetics. On the other hand, male shoppers are looking for pajama, perfume, attar, jaynamaj and tupi (Islamic cap).
Humayun Kabir, a buyer who was scheduled to board on a Barishal-bound launch from Sadarghat, was seen looking for matching tupi for himself and his family members in the city's Baitul Mokarram south gate on Friday.
"We have bought most of the listed items to celebrate the Eid, and are now looking for new tupi and attar."
"I think the Eid celebration remains incomplete unless you attend the prayer with the complete attire, as this is our most important religious festival," he noted.
Mehedi Hasan, a seller in that area, said he is selling local and foreign tupi.
"A large number of tupi, imported from Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Indonesia, are available in Bangladeshi market. These are selling between Tk 500-1,000 each depending on quality," he added.
Rajib Islam, an attar seller, was seen busy in dealing customers.
"Sales remain lower than his expectation this year. People have now become tight-fisted, as many are battling with inflationary pressure. Besides, many buyers have left the capital earlier this year."
He said attar is usually sold in 3-6 millilitres (ML) bottles, and prices of the item vary widely, as these are sourced from home and aboard.
"Each 3-ml bottle of basic category attar is sold within Tk 100, whereas the price of the same volume of better quality attar can be as high as Tk 3,000," he added.
saif.febd@gmail.com