RAJSHAHI, April 30, 2022 (BSS) - As the holy Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest
religious festival of the Muslims, is knocking at the door, shopping in all
the malls and markets and its adjacent areas here has reached in peak amidst
a huge rush of shoppers in the last moment of the Eid shopping spree.
 
With attraction of eye-catching colour and design of the silk wears, a large
number of people irrespective of age and sex especially the adolescents are
humming towards the showrooms to complete the last moment's collection of
their best choice.
 
Silk fabrics, woven and designed by local artisans, are in huge demand in the
Eid markets, with the affluent people rushing to the city silk showrooms
every day.
 
Thousands of people are purchasing items of their own choice with huge
enthusiasm despite the significant rise in prices of all kinds of clothes
compared to the previous couple of years.
 
Besides, low income people are crowding in various footpath shops and small
shops as prices here are a little bit lower than the big shopping malls.
 
Eid shoppers flocked to shopping malls and other business hubs like Shaheb
Bazar, RDA Market, New Market, Haragram Bazar, BSCIC Silk Showrooms,
Sonadighi Silk Market and Gonokpara Shopping Centre of the divisional city.
 
They came with friends and families to pick up dresses, putting smiles on the
traders' faces. Businessmen expressed satisfaction over the sale of the Eid
clothes, shoes, cosmetics and other goods and hoped that the sales would
continue till the night before the Eid-ul-Fitr day.
 
The movement of the shoppers has created huge traffic congestion in the major
shopping areas. Sekendar Ali, general secretary of RDA Market Businessmen
Association, told BSS that sales were showing an upward trend since the last
couple of days.
 
Salesmen of different markets, footpaths, makeshift sales centers are passing
busy time from morning to midnight as shoppers of all ages gathered there, he
added.
 
Market sources said prices of the clothes for male, female and children were
almost reasonable than the previous years. Many Eid shoppers also complained
of overpricing, especially of women and kids wear. The girls and adolescents
are mostly purchasing three pieces of various designs like "Tumili',
"Chhanchhan", "Ranjona", and "AnarKoli".
 
Saidur Rahman, Showroom in-charge of Sapura Silk, told BSS that katoar design
sharee on muslin is their greatest attraction for this Eid. Different designs
of sarees are priced from Taka 3,800 to Taka 1,45,000.
 
He said Usha Silk has also brought new designed panjabi with stripe art on
silk which is being sold at Taka 2,000 to Taka 7,500 per piece. Nur Alam
Bulbul, showroom in-charge of Usha Silk, said their sarees are being sold at
Taka 1,250 to Taka 45,500 and the three-pieces are priced at Taka 2,000 to
Taka 75,500.
 
"I have come to Omor Theme Plaza with my wife and kids to buy sharees, three
piece shirts and punjabis for family members and other close relatives," said
Masud Rana, a resident of Sheroil area in the city.
 
Deployment of law enforcers at different points and market places and
engagement of private security men at shopping malls by the authorities
concerned have ultimately created a fool-proof security arrangement for
businessmen as well as shoppers.
 
The RMP traffic department also blocked all intersections in front of all
markets and shopping malls to ensure uninterrupted movement of vehicles. RMP
has set up police boxes beside the gates of all busy markets.