City roads turn shopping mall
People of all strata of life rush to footpath makeshift shops to buy essentials specially clothes at a cheaper rate during Ramzan. This photo was taken from Gulistan area on Wednesday.
Staff Reporter :
Lower and middle income group of people in the city prefer makeshift footpath shops to buy Eid items, including clothes, since the day of Eid-ul-Fitr is closing in.
Shoppers do it in order to minimise Eid budget and to buy more items.
They say that the cost of living has increased and they have to meet the surplus expenditures by reducing cost from other heads The Eid-ul-Fitr is such a religious festival that the joys of the children in particular cannot be ignored.
However, the people from the higher income group swarm into the shopping malls and plazas overlooking prices of the clothing, ornaments, shoes and sandals
“I am to buy two shirts-one for me and the other for my younger brother-which I do every year as a tradition. The prices of clothing at shopping malls are too high considering my monthly salaries. That is why I am looking for attractive shirts at the makeshift shops on the footpath,” said Alamgir Hossain, a Marketing Officer of a Private company
In Gulistan, the buyers in thousands use to flock every day of the first 16 days of the Holy month of Ramadan. The females and their children are found busy to buy their necessary items like shirts, pants, T-shirt, polo shirts, childrendresses, Panjabi, belts, shoes, ladies bags and other products.
A hawker was found to ask Tk 400 for a Panjabi of white colour with crossed blue border. The customers are found choosing panjabis because these are cheaper comparing with shirts..
“A cotton Panjabi was selling at Tk 1000-2000 per piece in a shopping mall, whereas a buyer can get it for Tk 600 to 700 only. So, why should I come here to buy everything at cheaper price,” said, Jamal Uddin, a resident from Mirhazirbagh area while shopping in Gulistan footpath.
Jamal Uddin said, last year he shopped from different
shopping malls, but this year his business had become dull. As his income fell, he was compelled to go to footpath for family members.
He said, many of his neighbors also used to shop from Gulistan footpath this year.
Abul Kalam Azad, a Office Assistant from a private company in Motijheel also found in shopping from in front of Baitul Mukarram Market.
He said, “The middle income level if people are in vulnerable situation as the price of kitchen markets and everything are very high. In these circumstances, most of my colleagues and many of my friends have decided to shop Eid items from footpath this year.”
He said that every year he usually bought some items from footpath after shopping major things from medium level markets.
But this year he has decided to buy few items for his children and wife from markets, and most products from footpath to manage the regular expenditure of the family.
Eid shoppers were found to bargain about price of children’s Panjabi from in front of GPO beside Baitul Mukarram.
The shopkeeper asked Tk 300 for a tiny Panjabi. The shopper was requesting to reduce the price. But the shopkeeper said it is totally of cotton. So he is not able to reduce price.
At the Baitul Mukarram north gate, an elderly woman was found searching for a T-shirt for a grandson of her.
The shopkeeper was trying to help the little boy wear a colorful T-shirt because pf its eye catching. Many of the customers were found searching forsuitable waist belts, wallets and shoes also from footpath shops.
Female customers were also found buying ladies’ bags from the footpaths makeshift shops as their Eid collections.
Lower and middle income group of people in the city prefer makeshift footpath shops to buy Eid items, including clothes, since the day of Eid-ul-Fitr is closing in.
Shoppers do it in order to minimise Eid budget and to buy more items.
They say that the cost of living has increased and they have to meet the surplus expenditures by reducing cost from other heads The Eid-ul-Fitr is such a religious festival that the joys of the children in particular cannot be ignored.
However, the people from the higher income group swarm into the shopping malls and plazas overlooking prices of the clothing, ornaments, shoes and sandals
“I am to buy two shirts-one for me and the other for my younger brother-which I do every year as a tradition. The prices of clothing at shopping malls are too high considering my monthly salaries. That is why I am looking for attractive shirts at the makeshift shops on the footpath,” said Alamgir Hossain, a Marketing Officer of a Private company
In Gulistan, the buyers in thousands use to flock every day of the first 16 days of the Holy month of Ramadan. The females and their children are found busy to buy their necessary items like shirts, pants, T-shirt, polo shirts, childrendresses, Panjabi, belts, shoes, ladies bags and other products.
A hawker was found to ask Tk 400 for a Panjabi of white colour with crossed blue border. The customers are found choosing panjabis because these are cheaper comparing with shirts..
“A cotton Panjabi was selling at Tk 1000-2000 per piece in a shopping mall, whereas a buyer can get it for Tk 600 to 700 only. So, why should I come here to buy everything at cheaper price,” said, Jamal Uddin, a resident from Mirhazirbagh area while shopping in Gulistan footpath.
Jamal Uddin said, last year he shopped from different
shopping malls, but this year his business had become dull. As his income fell, he was compelled to go to footpath for family members.
He said, many of his neighbors also used to shop from Gulistan footpath this year.
Abul Kalam Azad, a Office Assistant from a private company in Motijheel also found in shopping from in front of Baitul Mukarram Market.
He said, “The middle income level if people are in vulnerable situation as the price of kitchen markets and everything are very high. In these circumstances, most of my colleagues and many of my friends have decided to shop Eid items from footpath this year.”
He said that every year he usually bought some items from footpath after shopping major things from medium level markets.
But this year he has decided to buy few items for his children and wife from markets, and most products from footpath to manage the regular expenditure of the family.
Eid shoppers were found to bargain about price of children’s Panjabi from in front of GPO beside Baitul Mukarram.
The shopkeeper asked Tk 300 for a tiny Panjabi. The shopper was requesting to reduce the price. But the shopkeeper said it is totally of cotton. So he is not able to reduce price.
At the Baitul Mukarram north gate, an elderly woman was found searching for a T-shirt for a grandson of her.
The shopkeeper was trying to help the little boy wear a colorful T-shirt because pf its eye catching. Many of the customers were found searching forsuitable waist belts, wallets and shoes also from footpath shops.
Female customers were also found buying ladies’ bags from the footpaths makeshift shops as their Eid collections.
