Malls and markets in the Sylhet city have started experiencing crowds of buyers, with Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of the Muslims, only two weeks away.
Shoppers from different income groups are now seen to swarm the shopping malls, fashion houses, boutique shops, market places and roadside shops.The shoppers are also rushing to the footwear, cosmetic and ornament shops at shopping complexes including Blue Water, West World, Sylhet Millennium, Al-Hamra, Sylhet City Centre, Kakali, Manru, Galleria, Kaniz Plaza, Sylhet Plaza, Wahid View, Shahir Plaza, Shukria Market, London Mansion, Lamabazar, Rikabibazar and Madhuban Super Market in the city.
Laldighir Par Hawker Market and Hasan Market, well-known for low-priced goods, and the makeshift shops of Eid products in the city are also enjoying huge crowds of buyers.
Talking to New Age, shop owners said they brought Eid products on the occasion of shab-e-barat, celebrated a fortnight before the beginning of Ramadan, as a good number of buyers want to complete their shopping before the Eid rush.
‘It has been observed that many buyers start doing Eid shopping from the first day of Ramadan to end their shopping with ease avoiding the crowd and traffic congestions just before Eid,’ said Selim Uddin, managing director of a fashion house at Naya Sarak in the city.
Uzzal Gosh, managing director of Uthsya Fashion at Blue Water, told New Age that they could not do business in the first week of Ramadan because of political unrest in the country.
‘The consumers, however, started streaming in the shopping centres with the end of four-day general strike,’ Uzzal added.
Local fashion house owners are also hopeful about doing good business this year as the visitors and buyers have started rushing to fashion houses with beginning of Ramadan.
‘Apart from the satisfactory presence of visitors, sales are not bad this year,’ said Faysal Ahmed Bablu, director of Shola Aana, a local fashion house at Baruthkhana in the city.
Alongside the trendy products of India, Pakistan, Thailand, Dubai and local apparel houses, young buyers, both males and females, are also rushing to the local fashion houses to pick up attires for their Eid celebrations.
Local fashion outlets like Arong, Banglar Mela, Kay Craft, Ananya, Shola Aana, Tulana, Nipun, Maha, Manorama, She, Text Mart, Signature, Pabartana, Khoab, Bangaliana, Paripati, Shilamoni, Ranger Baroi, Autashi, Farhing, Bunayan, Malabish and Megabazar are attracting the youngsters.
A footpath garment shop owner, Shafik Miah, however, told New Age that they would have to wait for some more days for a good sale.
‘Sale of Eid products in the makeshift shops begins in full swing after the 20th Ramadan,’ he added, saying that most of the people were now coming to their shops just to get an idea about the prices.
-With New Age input
