Photo : BSS

CHATTOGRAM, March 19, 2025, (BSS) - As the holy Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of the Muslims, is approaching fast, shopping has got a momentum with great rush in the posh and traditional shopping malls as well as makeshift shops and footpaths in the city.

Apart from city dwellers, shopping crazy people from different upazilas of the district, even those from far flung areas of adjacent districts like Cox’s bazar , Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari has started to throng at famous shopping centers and traditional market places here for Eid shopping.

Shoppers have expressed their satisfaction over improved law and order situation in the city particularly at surroundings of important market places. They also happy to have almost uninterrupted power supply during the month of Ramadan and Eid shopping period.  

All the city market places are seen busy and vibrant with crowds of customers at the shopping centers which start in the morning and continue till midnight.

Most significant trend of this year Eid shopping is that Indian clothes, shoes, cosmetics and non-gold ornaments have not flooded like other years due to unusual delay and complexities in getting Indian visa from July uprising, business circle sources said.  

Talking to BSS, a number of shop owners of several shopping centers said that local prominent brands and products especially made and designed for Eid festival have been in high demand this year to middle and lower middle income groups while rich customers were looking for items from India, Pakistan, Thailand, China and other countries besides products of internationally established brands.   

Shoppers said that the prices of all products had increased by 10 to 20 per cent than last year.

“Average daily sales proceeds of his cloths store after mid Ramadan are around Tk. 95,000 compared to last year’s amount of around Tk.85 thousand per day” said Golam Mostafa,  General Secretary of Ctg Shopping Complex Shop Owners Association.

Talking to BSS, Abdul Mannan President of Teri Bazar Shop Owner Association said overall market situation is positive during current Eid market as there was less activities of organized crime groups and almost uninterrupted power supply have created a conducive business environment for both sellers and buyers this year.

He said Eid-centric shopping binge is expected to escalate further after employees of public and private organization received salary and festival bonus.

According to the importers and wholesalers, this year's most important development centering the Eid shopping economy was pushing of Pakistani and Chinese products - which are traditionally dominating in Bangladesh's Eid market into backward point due to heavy onrush of Taiwanese and Thailand-made readymade garments, three pieces for girls, shoes, cosmetics, kids item and other fashion products.

Popular Indian clothes are being sold at prices ranging from Taka 5000 to Taka 30,000. Both Indian and local sharees are also in great demand, shoppers said.  

Different brands of local sharees like Silk, Katan, Tangail silk and Tangail cotton and Indian Kanjivaram, are in great demand in the local markets.

Bangalore, Silk Katan and Lehenga are being sold in higher prices ranging from Tk. 8000 to Tk. 50,000, according to the sellers.

Roadside footpath shops and small shops are found more crowded than the big shopping malls.

Meanwhile, a large number of makeshift shops have sprung up on the pavements of the city ahead of the Eid festival.

Prices of different varieties of clothes, particularly cotton, tissue, silk, and synthetic, have registered a sharp rise although the shops are almost full of a variety of garments, said Khurshid Alam, General Secretary of New Market Shop Owner Association.

The rich buyers are crowding different big shopping centers, while the low- income people are also seen purchasing their desired items from the footpath shops in the city.

Supply of goods, including foreign brands, in the market is abundant. The goods are vary from luxury to household items, Khurshed said.

Varieties of clothing and cosmetic goods imported from different countries including those of from Indian and Pakistan are available at shopping centers, especially in Mimi Super Market, Teribazar and Reazuddin Bazar, Amin Center, Sanmar Ocean city, Moti Tower and Chittagong Shopping Complex.

Reported departmental shops and market authorities have declared various attractive prizes and offers including cash discounts, raffle draw and instant coupons for cash discounts to lure the customers.  

Traffic department sources said, port city has been witnessing heavy traffic congestion from mid Ramzan at New market, Reazuddin Bazar, Jubilee Road, Station road, Andarkilla, Chawkbazar, Sholoshahar, Nasirabad, Agradab, Dewan hat, Lalkhan Bazar and Bahaddarhat following increasing flow of the buyers  on the occasion of the festival.

Traffic police were also seen struggling to tackle the situations in those points.

Besides the crime busting elite force RAB, police are vigilant on different intersections and shopping centers to check mugging, snatching, eve teasing and other unlawful activities.