Brief respite brings relief

People belonging to low and fixed income groups throng a footpath in Mymensingh town to buy warm clothes. This photo was taken on Monday. Photo: Star

With a brief respite from political unrest, sale of winter clothes has increased at roadside makeshift shops in the town in the last few days.
People belonging to low and fixed income groups are crowding the makeshift shops to buy warm clothes such as sweaters, jackets, cardigans, woolen caps and mufflers as a mild cold wave is sweeping the district.
With early onset of winter in the region, traders expected sales in large volume, but hartals and blockades hampered their trade as buyers didnot come to the makeshift shops in fear of being victims of attacks.
Second-hand warm clothes sellers said they have suffered a huge loss during the last one month due to opposition enforced hartals and blockades.
“Sale of warm clothes has gone up in the last few days. We want a peaceful situation for the next 15 to 20 days to recover the losses,” said Harun Sikder, a seller of Trunkpatti area.
Traders are now doing brisk business and each of them is selling warm clothes worth about Tk. 3000 to Tk. 4000 per day, he added.
Buyers, mostly from low-income groups, are flocking to footpaths in Trunkpatti, Station Road and Basabari Market areas.
Sahana Akhtar, a housewife, said prices of warm clothes are comparatively less than other shopping malls in the town and so we rush to footpaths.
Habibur Rahman, a rickshaw puller, who lives in a slum in the town, said he bought three second-hand warm clothes for his children at Tk. 100.
Ali Jabber, owner of a makeshift shop in Basabari area, said sales volume has increased as wholesalers from Jamalpur, Sherpur, Netrakona and Kishoreganj are coming to their shops daily. “We want the political parties will refrain from enforcing hartal and blockade for at least one month for our survival as we have to depend on daily income,” Jabber said.