National Desk :With hardly a week is left for the Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of the Muslims, the district towns have been caught by ‘Eid shopping fever’ with modern and traditional shopping malls bustling with shoppers from all walks of life. Our correspondents and agencies report:Sylhet Correspondent reports: The shopping of Eid-ul-Fitr has gained momentum in Sylhet city as people of different ages thronged the shopping malls to buy their dresses and other necessary items for their near and dear ones celebrating the biggest religious festival of Muslims with joy and gaiety.Sources said, hundreds and thousands of people are seen busy for purchasing items of their own choice despite significant rise in prices of all kinds of clothes than the last year, Besides, salesmen of different markets, footpaths and makeshift sales centres are passing busy hour from morning to midnight ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.At the same time, movement of the shoppers has created huge traffic congestion at different shopping areas. In a recent visit of different shopping centres, this correspondent saw that shop owners are satisfied with their sales.Shop owners said, The overall selling is much higher this year because of further improvement in the economic condition of people of all classes, Appreciating the government initiatives for creating favourable trade atmosphere during Ramadan, the businessmen, market association leaders and shoppers said they had been doing good business in a secured and safe environment.General Secretary of Sylhet Businessmen Association Ehsanul Haque Taher said, “We are doing our business very well this year as people seem to be relieved from the sense of insecurity,’ ‘Even as a businessman, I have not faced any unpleasant situation relating to law and order since the very first day of Ramadan,’ he also said.Owner of Bishal Shari Ghar at Sylhet Shukria market Motiur Rahman said local products particularly salwar-kameez, shoes and saris with embroidery and stone work, panjabees, shirts and trousers made by different local fashion houses are attracting the customers.Buyers as well as shoppers said dresses like salwar-kameez, panjabi, sari and other dresses which are made by local fabrics and materials are getting more preferences of the fashion lovers.Md. Mokaddes Hayat Milon from Thakurgaon reports: As the Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the greatest religious festivals of the Muslims is approaching nearer, a mad shopping spree among adolescent boys and girls is visible at different markets in Thakurgaon district.Elderly men and women are not lagging behind. Everyday in the morning teenager boys and girls start pouring in to readymade garment, cosmetic and shoe shops where garments, shoes and cosmetics of different varieties with a touch of novelty are being displayed in showcases alluring the customers.The rush of buyers reaches its pinnacle from 9am to 12pm everyday when housewives, young and elderly, go to the markets along with their children.The shopkeepers are seemingly happy with their sale proceeds and the profits accrued from them.When contacted some shopkeepers of Nores chaohan raod in the twon told this correspondent that the Sarees that are in great demands in the markets are Katan, Jamdani, Silk, Rajshahi Silk, Mirpuri Katan, Benarashi and Georgette. The prices of those vary from Tk 2000 to Tk 10000 according to their quality and design. Relatively low income groups are seen purchasing sarees worth Tk 700 to Tk 1000 each.Three-pieces of different kinds and designs are selling here as hot cakes at different prices. Prices of each set of three pieces vary from Tk 800 to over Tk 5000.Similar is the case with shoe and cosmetic shops.The tailors are so busy that they have stopped taking orders on the plea that they will not be able to supply the goods before Eid.The law and order situation seems to be satisfactory till now as no untoward incident has been reported.The police have been patrolling the market areas round the clock with all vigilance to avert any untoward incident.BSS from Rajshahi adds: Hundreds and thousands of people are seen purchasing items of their own choice with huge enthusiasm despite significant rise in prices of all kinds of clothes than the last year. Movement of the shoppers has created huge traffic congestion in the major towns.Shop owners told BSS that sales were showing an upward trend since last couple of days as people especially private and public service holders have already received their Eid bonuses.Salesmen of different markets, footpaths, makeshift sales centers are passing busy time from morning to midnight as people of all ages gathered there to buy their dresses and other items to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, sources added.Market sources said the overall selling is much higher this year because of further improvement in the economic condition of people of all classes.Businessmen, market association leaders and shoppers highly appreciated the government initiatives for creating favorable trade atmosphere during Ramadan and said they had been doing good business in a secured and safe environment.Deployment of huge police personnel at different strategic city-points and market places, intensive surveillance work by the police and engagement of private security men at shopping malls by the authority concerned have ultimately created a full-proof security arrangement for businessmen as well as shoppers.”We are doing our business very well this year as people seem to be relieved from the sense of insecurity. Even as a businessman, I have not faced any untoward situation relating to law and order from the very first day of Ramadan,” said Farid Mamud, General Secretary of RDA Market Businessmen Association.He said people with their family members are coming for shopping this year even at midnight due to improved law and order. The volume of sale is much higher this year, he added.Saidul Islam, an owner of Laboni Shari Ghar at Rajshahi New Market said local products particularly Salwar-kameez sets for girls, shoes, sarees with embroidery and stone work, panjabees, shirts and trousers produced by different local fashion houses are attracting the customers.Buyers as well as shoppers said dresses like salwar-kameez, panjabi, saree and other dresses made for children by fashion houses, using the local fabrics and materials, are getting more preferences of the fashion lovers.Similar reports of brisk eid-shopping were also received here from the adjacent districts like Chapainawabgonj, Naogaon, Natore, Pabna, Sirajgonj, Bogra and Joypurhat.BSS from Faridpur adds: Eid shopping in the district has already got momentum though there are still eight days left for the Eid-ul-Fitr, the greatest religious festival of Muslims.The markets mostly apparel shops were seen buzzing with the shoppers.However, the Eid shopping started at the very advent of Ramadan has been assuming pace day by day. People from all walks of life are seen crowding different markets, shopping malls, business centers and makeshift stores to collect their items of choice.Though there are several big and small shopping centers and some newly built Malls in this town inhabited by nearly 1.60 lakh of people, shoppers mostly crowed the Titumir Bazar (New Market) set up of the town.The buyers both urban and rural at this moment are mostly crowding the stores selling readymade garments particularly sarees, frocks, three-pieces, punjabi, lungi, baby-wares and others.The shoe stores are also seen busy with the shoppers since 9 am to 10 pm. The affluent people are seen visiting the shopping centers more than once to purchase at least two sets or three sarees for each.The local district administration since the first of Ramadan started mobile court drives against adulteration and price hiking.The mobile courts fined different food vendors for selling adulterated milk, banana ripen with medicine, poultry sellers for selling substandard items in unhygienic condition. Even the administration carried mobile courts in the readymade garments shops after receiving complaints of exorbitant high price which was remedied by checking their purchase vouchers. However the shop owners were fined.
