PABNA, June 19: With hardly a week left for the Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of the Muslims, the district town has been caught by 'Eid shopping fever' with modern and traditional shopping malls buzzing with shoppers from all walks of life.
The shopping of Eid-ul-Fitr has gained momentum in the town as people of different ages thronged the shopping malls to buy their dresses and other necessary items for their near and dear ones to celebrate the biggest religious festival of Muslims with joy and gaiety.
According to field sources, a huge number of people are seen busy for purchasing items of their own choices despite significant rise in prices of all kinds of clothes compared to the last year. Besides, salesmen of different markets, footpaths and makeshift sales centres are passing busy hours 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.
While talking to this correspondent during a recent visit to different shopping centres, shop owners expressed their satisfaction over the overall sales of their products this year.
Appreciating the government's initiatives for creating favourable trade atmosphere during Ramadan, businessmen, market association leaders and shoppers said they had been doing good business in a secured and safe environment.
Mahbubul Alam Mukul, senior vice-president of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 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.
Mostafa Kamal, owner of a shop named 'Shari Bitan', 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.
Every day in the morning, the teenagers- boys and girls both, 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 people, go to the markets along with their children. Though there are several big and small shopping centres and some newly built malls in this town, all are crowded.
The buyers both urban and rural at this moment are mostly crowding the stores selling readymade garments, particularly saris, frocks, three-pieces, panjabi, lungi, baby-wares and others.
The shopkeepers are seemingly happy with their sale proceeds and the profits accrued from them.
When contacted, some shopkeepers of different shops 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 qualities and designs. 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.
When contacted, Pabna Police Super Zihadul Kabir said, all sorts of security measures have been taken to help a huge number of people buy things in a hassle-free manner, and no unpleasant incident was reported so far from anywhere.
Members of police, RAB and intelligence agencies, both in uniforms and plain clothe, are found patrolling the markets, roads and other important places to stop all sorts of mugging, burglary, extortion and other crimes.
A total of 14 close circuit cameras have been set up in different points of the town and all the important markets.
On the other hand, authorities and owners of business establishments, organisations, shopping malls, markets and centres have also taken own security measures to ensure peaceful environment in shopping complexes.
Meanwhile, sale of shoes and cosmetics has also reached its peak at the shops, shopping malls and markets and the sale will further increase in the coming days, market sources said.
