With hardly twelve days left for the Eid- ul-Fitr, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslims, Rajshahi city has been caught by Eid shopping fever with modern and traditional shopping malls bustling with shoppers from all strata, reports BSS.
Thousands of people are purchasing items of their own choice with huge enthusiasm despite significant rise in prices of all kinds of clothes than the last year.
With attraction of eye-catching colour and design of the silk wears, large number of people irrespective of age and sex especially the adolescents are humming towards the showrooms to collect their best choice.
According to the sources concerned, silk wears valued at around Taka 30- 35 crore are likely to be sold during the current Eid season.
Silk fabrics, weaved and designed by local artisans, are on huge demand in the Eid markets of the city, with the affluent people rushing to the city silk showrooms every day.
Movement of the shoppers has created huge traffic congestion in the majorshopping areas. Shop owners 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, they added.
Market sources said the overall sale was much higher this year because of further improvement in the economic condition of people from all classes.
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.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Traffic Police sources said movement of thousandsof battery-run auto-rickshaws has deteriorated the traffic situation here though the situation is so far better.
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 and our police officials are sincerely making people aware about traffic system all the time,” said Anirban Chakma, Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) in RMP.
Sekendar Ali, general secretary of RDA Market Businessmen Association, said he had not faced any untoward situation from the first day of Ramadan.
“The volume of sale is much higher this year.” Saidul Islam, owner of Laboni Saree Ghar at Rajshahi New Market, said the products particularly Salwar-Kameez for girls, shoes, sarees with embroidery and stone work, punjabi, and shirts produced by local fashion houses were attracting the customers.
The shopping places become jam-packed to wear festive looks daily since noon. Market sources said prices of the clothes for male, female and children were almost reasonable than the previous years. The Eid shoppers have been rushing mostly to RDA Market, New Market, Sonadighi Silk Market and other markets and shopping malls in the city.
The girls and adolescents are mostly purchasing three pieces of various designs like “Tumili’, “Chhanchhan”, “Ranjona”, and “AnarKoli”.
The buyers from the richer class are also selecting and purchasing their best choice whatever the price is while the middle and low-income groups are seen bargaining with the sellers.
Traders expressed happiness over sales and hoped that the selling will further increase.