It was almost midnight on Wednesday and still a long tailback of vehicles carrying Eid shoppers could be seen outside the city’s Bashundhara Shopping Mall.
At the shopping centre, the queue for entry does not seem to shorten, with the constant stream of shoppers. Meanwhile, on the staircase leading to the centre, many were seen resting to recharge themselves for another bout of shopping.
Late night Eid shopping, of late, has become increasingly popular among the city dwellers hoping to avoid the mad rush that invariably happens during the day.
“The temperature drops and the traffic on the roads is not bad at all, unlike during the day,” said Shahnaz Akter, an executive of a private bank, who arrived 15 minutes to 11:00pm.
“It is convenient to shop at night as I am busy during the day. Plus, I get to finish my prayers and other chores,” she added.
But Wednesday night was Shab-e-Qadr, when the majority of Eid shoppers spend the night offering prayers.
“On other nights the throng of customers is much bigger. The rush of customers, in fact, is very subdued today as it is the Qadr night,” said a salesperson at the clothing store Infinity.
He added that the store registered most of their Eid takings in the first 10 days of Ramadan.
“Our sales this year have been very good. We have already sold most of our stock as customers came early,” said a salesperson of Bwise, a kids wear outlet at Bashundhara.
The garments, footwear and mobile phone shops were seen bustling with customers, but the scenario has been the exact opposite at the jewellery and electronics shops.
Shopkeepers at the centre said the rush lasts until 2 in the morning, adding that the late night shopping will continue to be held up to the Eid-ul-Fitr eve.
-With The Daily Star input
