Brisk business there, too
Though regular malls are always in the limelight during every Eid, the makeshift shops on footpaths and open spaces in the capital are also doing a brisk business pulling huge customers, both the middle-class and lower middle-class people.
People were seen crowding around the makeshift shops in the city's Panthapath, Farmgate, Gulistan, Bangabazar, Purana Paltan, Motijheel, Fakirapool, New Market, Nilkhet, Jatrabari, Sadarghat, Mirpur, Malibagh, Mouchak and Rampura areas yesterday to complete their last-minute shopping.
These makeshift stalls are seen as hotspots for cheap jeans and gabardine pants, shirts, T-shirts, panjabis, trousers, footwear, belts, caps, lungis, wallets, children clothes, girls' attires, cosmetics and toys.
Many buyers said they are shopping at the footpath stalls as they cannot afford expensive items at the shopping malls.
Mahubur Rahman, a Dhaka City College student, said he first visited some stalls at Bashundhara City Shopping Mall to buy a jeans pant, but he could not due to its excessive price. "The shop owners there were demanding Tk 2,000 to 4,000 for a pant. Later, I came here (a footpath shop near the mall) and bought a jeans and a gabardine pant at Tk 800."
A middle-aged housewife, Jahanara, who went to a makeshift shop near Mouchak market, said she bought a panjabi for her husband at Tk 350 from the roadside shop. "As our budget is not much for Eid shopping, we didn't go to any shopping mall."
Talking to this news agency, a number of vendors voiced their satisfaction as they said the volume of sale and profit this year is higher than that of previous years.
Badsha, a vendor who sells different types of pants on the footpath near Bashundhara City Shopping Mall, said he made a good profit this time with huge sale of his products. "I've sold 70 pants every day on an average from the 10th Ramadan to date (yesterday)."
"We're witnessing a huge rush of customers and the sale is also good," said T-shirt vendor Nizam Uddin in Rampura area.
"We're selling good quality panjabis at a much cheaper price and getting huge response from buyers," said another vendor Belal in Baitul Mukarram area.
The vendors alleged though they are making a good profit, they have to pay toll to local political leaders and law enforcers running their businesses on the footpaths.
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