Crowd returns, business resumes

Business resumed in the outer peripheral area of the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur as the Bangladesh Cricket Board allowed spectators back in the gallery for the ongoing Bangladesh-Pakistan series.

Though the BCB has reduced the number of spectators to fifty per cent occupancy, access to the stadium after more than 600 days brought back the usual chaos around the stadium, a common scenario during cricket matches before pandemics hit the country.

Various items like flags, wristbands, headbands, jerseys, toy tigers were being sold by the hawkers in the adjacent areas of the Stadium, chiefly around the Mirpur-10 circle area and Milk Vita Road.

Small tea stalls and eateries also passed the busy time during the calm Friday morning as cricket fans from various parts of the city gathered around the stadium, waiting for the Stadium gates to open for the first T20i between Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Though selling tickets in the black market is illegal, it is a common scenario around the stadium before the start of the match as anyone will hear ticket-sellers loud voices while roaming around the circumference of SBNCS on a match-day, but that too was missing since March 2020.

That too returned as tickets disappeared soon from the counter and were available at a higher price on the street.

A flag-seller told The Business Post that he was very happy as the crowd means business.

“I am very happy, the business is going well. I used to sell flags and other items in the stadium area during cricket matches, but for the last one and half years, my business stopped as no spectators were allowed inside the stadium. I worked as a rickshaw puller, sold fruits and other items during that time. But now I am back to my real business as the fans are back,” he said.

A jersey seller also told TBP that his sales were also satisfactory and will travel to Chattogram to carry on his business during the upcoming Test match, starting from November 26.

“I used to do this business earlier, but the covid situation stopped everything. Now I am back in my old trade. I manufacture all these jerseys in Rangpur, came to Dhaka before the match, and stay in a ricksha-garage,” he said.

Sales soared in the small eateries, fast-food shops, and tea stalls surrounding the stadium as the footfall increased in the locality. Vendors, who got the stalls inside the stadium to sell snacks, also got a chance to run their business after a long time.

Face-painting is also a popular practice of enthusiast fans, and some face-painting artists also make some money when a cricket match takes place.

A student of Bangla College, who works as a part-time face painter, told TBP that he is also getting some customers.

“I am a student, but I can do face painting too. I used to come with my paint and brush during match days. I don’t have a fixed charge, but people used to give me some tips after my paint job, which was a good source of extra income for me. As the crowd was barred, my income stopped, now it resumes as the gates are open,” he told TBP.