Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
Fasting people have become somewhat aware of iftar shopping in the heat of Ramadan. Many people are turning their backs on fried foods and opting for fruits and healthy foods. Many people cannot afford to spend extra on iftar due to the high cost of goods. Due to the economic recession, everyone is spending in a calculated manner. As a result, iftar sales have collapsed due to lack of buyers. Iftar traders of Ishwardi are facing losses. Hotel-sweet shopkeepers and seasonal iftar traders said that selling iftar is far from profitable and the attendance of employees is not increasing.
It can be seen on the surface, apart from hotels and sweet shops in the city, seasonal shopkeepers are sitting with iftar items at different places. The shopkeepers are sitting for sale at various places including railway gate, Post Office Mor, Alhaj Mor, College Road, Akbar Mor, Bakuler Mor, Aronkola. Keeping in mind the needs of the customers, various iftars have been prepared in the shops. Buyers are less this time from the beginning. In other years iftar ends in the afternoon but this time it remains unsold in every shop. Iftar traders have been struggling since the beginning due to the increase in the prices of all things, including the wages of artisans and oil. It was expected that the sales would increase at the beginning of the month. But the sales are not increasing, but decreasing day by day.
Sohail Rana was buying nimki and bundia in the market. He said, don’t buy iftari like before. Rakib Hasan said, the money is over in the market. What will I buy iftari with? Iftar price has increased. What I used to buy for 5 takas earlier now has to be bought for 8-10 takas.
Madhav Pal of Pal Sweets said, “Loss started from the first fast. Iftar is going on every day. This has not been the case in the past few years. In other years I could not finish with Iftar. Now it’s the opposite.
Bobin, the owner of Alamin Hotel, said that although the prices of all things have increased, we are selling them at the same prices. Not in the hope of profit but because of the holy Ramadan.
However, due to unsold losses are being incurred daily. People are buying less iftar from the market due to heat and economic recession. Therefore, we do not have to pay for the attendance of the artisans and other people every day.
