Eid shopping frenzy in Chittagong
The shopping malls and markets get overcrowded with Eid shoppers. The photo was taken from New Market in the port city on Monday. Photo: STAR
With Eid only a few days away, shopping gains momentum in Chittagong. Around 200 markets including 15 posh shopping malls, arcades, different fashion and boutique houses as well as the makeshift stalls on footpaths at different parts of the city are bustling from morning to late night. Eid shopping in the port city this year was relatively good from the very beginning of the holy month of Ramadan in comparison with the previous years. As Durga Puja -- the major religious festival of the Hindus -- will follow the Eid-ul-Fitre this time, almost all the shopping malls are experiencing huge crowd of consumers from both the communities from morning to late night. When markets are gripped by Eid shopping fever, price hike of products is frustrating most of the middle and low income buyers and forcing them to cut their budgets and to shorten their lists. People of well-off section who are in search of latest fashion in design and colour are thronging the posh shopping malls like New Market (Bipani Bitan), Amin Centre, Sanmar Ocean City, Yunusco Centre, VIP Tower, Central Plaza, Mimi Super Market, Highway Plaza, Central Plaza, Chittagong Shopping Complex, Moti Tower, Moti Complex as well as some popular outlets like Pride, Aarong, Anjan's, Mia Bibi, K-crafts, Westecs, Revlon, Cat's Eye, Matra, Nari and Menz Club. Middle class customers usually like to shop at Reazuddin Bazar, Lucky Plaza , Chawk View Market, Terri Bazar, Tamakumandi Lane Bazar, Bay Shopping Centre, Singapore-Bangkok Market and other markets since necessary items are found at reasonable price here. Jahur Hawker Market and makeshift shops set up by hawkers at a number of city points, however, remains the most popular outlet for the lower middle class and the poor. Among the Eid-attires, sarees are in top demand for the female customers this year while Punjabis, as usual, for the male. Keeping consumers' demands in mind, traders showcased both the local and Indian sarees including cotton, silk, synthetic, georgette, katan, benarosi, zamdani, zardousy and tissue. Saree with brand name 'Moha Utsab' are selling at Tk 20,000 to Tk 30,000 while chiffon sarees are available at Tk 5,000 to Tk 10,000. Traders at Terry Bazar are selling Moslin-Benarosi brand saree, a fusion of the two popular products, at Tk 3,000 to Tk 7,000. Three-piece decorated with different artistic patterns, with brand names like Masakkali has become craze among the young and teenaged girls this year. Masakkali for the children are selling at Tk 3000 while the same brand made for the teenaged girls are selling at Tk 3000 to Tk 18,000. Other popular brands of three-piece drawing attraction are Sania Mirza, Saregamapa, Delhi Silk and Girl Friend. Farzana Abedin, a varsity student, managed to buy a Masakkali brand three-piece at Tk 2500 from Sanmar Ocean City after bargaining with the trader. She said traders are charging higher rates for products taking advantage of the frenzied mood among the shoppers. Male persons both children and adult are looking for short panjabis than the taller ones. Decorated Dubai Panjabi is selling at Tk 2000 to Tk 4000 while younger section is gathering at popular outlets like Khadighar and Paristhan that showcased attractive and colourful punjabis. They are also thronging the fashion houses and popular posh outlets for T-shirt, pant, shirt, kameej and other dresses. Handibazar, a popular outlet, is offering shirt for males ranging from Tk 1950 to Tk 3000, T-shirt at Tk 600 to Tk 700, panjabi at Tk 750 to Tk 950 and pants at Tk 850 to Tk 1050. Short panjabis are selling at these outlets at Tk 1200 to Tk 2800 while Indian Dhutian Panjabi is selling at Tk 3,100 to Tk 5,500. Amin centre, first air-conditioned market in the port city, is drawing attention of the consumers by offering prizes against buying of products. Traders Association leaders of the market said they have arranged uninterrupted electricity supply only to serve the customers. Taking permission from the authorities concerned around 20,000 hawkers have set up makeshift shops on footpath again at different city points offering a scope for thousands of buyers from lower middle class and lower class.
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