Shopping for the country's one of the biggest religious festivals 'Eid-ul-Fitr,' reached its peak in the city on Friday. The city also experienced severe traffic gridlock as city dwellers as well as people from adjoining places came out for shopping on the day.
The shoppers particularly women and children were found very busy in buying Eid items including ready made dresses, saree, shoes, cosmetics from posh shopping arcades on one hand and way side shops on the oher.
The main attractions of shoppers were latest design clothes imported from different sub-continental countries including India and Pakistan. The imported products from Thailand and Singapore were also in the list of choice of the buyers, mainly representing upper middle class families.
The dresses include three pieces, selwar-kameez, short kameej, lehanga, panjabi, fatua, sandal and shoe.
The buyers were seen gathering in big numbers at Chandni Chawk, Chandrima Supper Market, New Market, Metro Shopping Mall, Gawsia, Eastern Plaza, Bangabazaar, Prince Plaza, Rajdhani Supper Market, Elephant Road, Aziz Supper Market, Dhanmondi Hawkers Market and Bashundhara city. The shops on pavements were also seen making brisk business on the day, which was a weekend day.
Shoppers commented on cloth-price both satisfactory and dissatisfactory. Many Eid shoppers alleged that the traders were engaged in making quick money by raising the prices of Eid items whimsically taking advantage of big crowds with barely two weeks left for the festival.
The middle-income group people and students of college and universities crowded at Aziz Supper Marker. Talking to this correspondent some buyers said the shoppers were charging reasonable price for items on sale at the market.
On the other hand, the low-income group people were shopping from the wayside shops.
Nazrul Islam and Khaleda Begum whom this correspondent came across at Gulistan wayside shop said the hawkers did not keep the price, which was fixed following bargain. "We have bought two shirts from the footpath at Gulistan for Tk 400 but we did not get refund of Tk 100 when we paid a note of Tk 500", said Nazrul Islam hailing from Naria Upazial in Shariatpur district.
When talked to some traders of Gawsia Market, they said that most of the items, which were being sold, were from India, Pakistan and China.