Shopping in all the malls and markets and its adjacent areas here has reached in peak amidst a huge rush of shoppers in the last moment of the Eid shopping spree as the holy Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of the Muslims, is knocking at the door.
Thousands of people are purchasing items of their own choice with huge enthusiasm despite the significant rise in prices of all kinds of clothes compared to the last couple of years.
Besides, low-income people are crowding in various footpath shops and small shops as prices here are a little bit lower than in the big shopping malls.
Eid shoppers flocked to shopping malls and other business hubs like Shaheb Bazar, RDA Market, New Market, Haragram Bazar, BSCIC Silk Showrooms, Sonadighi Silk Market and Gonokpara Shopping Centre of the divisional city.
They came with friends and families to pick up dresses, putting smiles on the traders' faces. Businessmen expressed satisfaction over the sale of Eid clothes, shoes, cosmetics and other goods and hoped that the sales would continue till the night before the Eid-ul-Fitr day.
With the eye-catching colour and design of the silk wear, a large number of people irrespective of age and sex especially adolescents, are humming towards the showrooms to complete the last-moment collection of their best choice.
Silk fabrics, woven and designed by local artisans, are in huge demand in the Eid markets, with affluent people rushing to the city silk showrooms every day.
The movement of shoppers has created huge traffic congestion in the major shopping areas. Sekendar Ali, general secretary of the RDA Market Businessmen Association, told BSS that sales were showing an upward trend in the last couple of days.
Salesmen of different markets, footpaths, and makeshift sales centres are passing busy times from morning to midnight as shoppers of all ages gathered there, he added.
Market sources said clothes prices for males, females and children were almost more reasonable than in previous years. Many Eid shoppers also complained of overpricing, especially for women's and kids' wear. The girls and adolescents are mostly purchasing three pieces of various designs like "Tumili', "Chhanchhan", "Ranjona", and "AnarKoli".
Abdur Razzaque, an owner of Razzaque Cloth Store, told BSS that Katori design saree on muslin is their greatest attraction for this Eid. Different designs of sarees are priced from Taka 3,800 to Taka 1,45,000.
He said Usha Silk has also brought newly designed panjabi with stripe art on silk which is being sold at Taka 2,000 to Taka 7,500 per piece.
Nur Alam Bulbul, showroom in-charge of Usha Silk, said their sarees are being sold at Taka 1,250 to Taka 45,500 and the three pieces are priced at Taka 2,000 to Taka 75,500.
"I have come to Omor Theme Plaza with my wife and kids to buy sarees, three pieces, shirts and punjabis for family members and other close relatives," said Masud Rana, a resident of the Sheroil area in the city.
Deployment of law enforcers at different points and market places and engagement of private security men at shopping malls by the authorities concerned have ultimately created a fool-proof security arrangement for businessmen as well as shoppers.
The traffic department of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) also blocked all intersections in front of all markets and shopping malls to ensure uninterrupted movement of vehicles. RMP has set up police boxes beside the gates of all busy markets.
