Bijoy Mela visitors in Ctg beat winter chill
Buyers trying to choose from a host of ornamental goods at a stall at Muktijuddho Bijoy Mela in Chittagong city. The month long fair is underway at Chittagong Outer Stadium. Photo: Prabir Das
The month long Muktijuddher Bijoy Mela swarms with visitors every day though low winter temperature is forcing many to stay put in their houses. Traders say sales are fairly good but they fell slightly compared those of earlier days. Muktijuddher Bijoy Mela is to celebrate the 41st anniversary of the country's victory in the Liberation War. It is taking place at Chittagong Outer Stadium. From toys to home accessories, the 200 stalls and pavilions in the fair sell almost everything, especially women's wear and household goods. Islam Textile, a stall selling women's wear, has been abuzz with buyers every day since the fair began on December 1. A salesman at the shop, Yasin Arafat, said their daily sale now stood around Tk 40,000 though it rose as high as Tk 70,000 a day in the beginning. He said an exclusively designed three-piece, which cost Tk 1,000, was selling high at his shop. Sellers at another store retailing a variety of bags and purses said they rented the stall for Tk 1.13 lakh and were faring well in business. Ziaur Rahman Bachchu, manager of the shop, Jiban Leather House, said their daily sales averaged Tk 50,000, which exceeded their sales target of Tk 35,000. A vanity bag sells between Tk 350 and Tk 1,050, a school bag between Tk 300 and Tk 800, and a purse between Tk 150 and Tk 350, he said. According to organisers and traders, as many as 30,000 people visit the fair every day and two-thirds of them are women. Both children's and women's footwear is also available. Montaz Patwari, manager of Ma Jahanara Shoes, said women of all ages visited their stall. “Our daily turnover is Tk 25,000 on an average.†He said they sold women's sandals at Tk 150 a pair, and usually the sales peaked between 6:00pm and 8:00pm. Samiha Enterprise sells kitchenware, including microwave oven, blender, rice cooker, sandwich machine, toaster and cordless kettle. Last year it sold goods worth Tk 12 lakh, said Milan Chan, a salesman of the stall, adding that this year's sales target was Tk 20 lakh. Iron or wooden tools and kitchenware are on sale at Bhabir Shukher Sangsar, a stall with a difference both for its name and the goods it sell. It sells korai (fry pan), wooden rolling boards, rolling pins, jwal chouki (wooden stool), boti (a cutting instrument), hammer, janti (nut-cracker), da (chopper), pata (stone slab for grinding spices), and hamamdista (mortar and pestle). Sellers said most of the visitors of this stall were housewives. Jarin Textile sells different types of shawls, including Kashmiri shawls, which are priced between Tk 400 and Tk 1,750. Farhad Hossain Mridha, an employee at the shop, said it sold women's three-pieces too, which cost between Tk 350 and Tk 2,500. The stall is doing well and is likely to reach its sales target, he said. Apart from the decorated stalls and pavilions, there are vendors selling under the open sky. Md Waliullah, a vendor of handicrafts, said he himself made most of the products, including doormats, carpets and floor mops. A doormat sells at Tk 350 and a floor mop at Tk 50, he said, adding that his daily sale averaged Tk 4,000. There are many more shops, which sell a variety of other products, including ceramic goods, jewellery, home accessories, perfumes and what not. For children, there are clothes and toys. One of those easy-to-notice shops is Hing Ting Chhat where the salesmen sell magic objects as well as teach kids how to play tricks with those. Muktijuddher Bijoy Mela has been organised in Chittagong city since 1989. It will end on December 31.
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