Photo: BSS

By S M Zahid Hossain

KHULNA, Nov 21, 2025 (BSS) - With the onset of winter, the traditional pitha (rice cake) trade has become lively across Khulna city and its outskirts.

Temporary stalls have sprung up at intersections, footpaths, and local markets, offering a variety of winter delicacies such as bhapa, chitai, patishapta, nakshi, dudhpuli, and other popular pithas. 

These stalls draw crowds, especially in the evenings, as people gather to enjoy hot, freshly prepared cakes.

The aroma of newly milled rice and steaming pitha attracts customers of all ages. Educational institutions and cultural organisations are also arranging pitha festivals, further enriching the seasonal atmosphere.

Bangladesh has a long tradition of winter pithas, with patishapta, bhapa, kuli, chitoi and teler pitha among the most popular. In Khulna, pitha makers are busy attending to hundreds of customers every day.

More than 100 temporary pitha stalls have been set up in areas including Rupsha Ghat, PTI intersection, Dolkhola intersection, Shishu Hospital Road, Shantidham intersection, Gallamari, Picture Palace intersection, Clay Road, Station Road, Kodomtola Road, Khan Jahan Ali Road, Sonadanga Bus Stand, New Market, Khalishpur, Daulatpur, and the Rail Station area. Vendors are occupied throughout the evening serving hot pithas to eager buyers.

Manjur Rahman, a seasonal vendor who has been selling pitha in the Shantidham area for four years, said he has already been preparing chitoi pitha for the past 15-20 days. He sells pitha during winter and runs a fruit business during other seasons.

"Each chitoi pitha sells for Tk 5, and sales are good," Manjur said. "Even though winter has not fully set in, I'm earning Tk 5,000 to 6,000 daily. Prices of rice, molasses, mustard, and fuel have gone up, so profits are tighter, but sales usually double in peak winter."

Shahidul Islam, an employee at a printing press nearby, said he buys from Manjur every year because the pithas are consistently tasty.

People from different walks of life gather at these stalls in the evening. Another vendor, Md Ruhul Amin, operates three ovens with two workers preparing pithas and one serving customers. 

He said winter brings good earnings, although roadside vendors often remain cautious about sudden eviction drives by police.

At Sonadanga intersection, pitha seller Morzina Begum said many customers come for her freshly made pati sapta, kuli, chitoi, and bhapa pithas. "The quality is good, and my prices are low," she said. After expenses, Morzina and her husband, Mofiz Mia, earn around Tk 800 a day by selling 250-300 pithas. The couple relies on the seasonal income to support their family.

Many vendors say earnings from the winter months can sustain them for several months. They note that the business requires little capital to start, and many use waste wood or dried twigs as fuel to cut costs, while some use gas cylinders.

Citizen leader Advocate Babul Hawlader said winter creates economic opportunities for low-income families. "Some sell pithas, others work in the fields. Winter income often supports families for several months. Government assistance for these small entrepreneurs would be helpful."

Although rural households traditionally prepare winter pithas at home, busy urban life leaves little time for such activities. 

As demand rises, many individuals like Manjur, Ruhul, and Morzina turn to pitha-making as a seasonal trade. The business has helped many low-income families become self-reliant during winter in Khulna.