FENI, June 22: With only three days left for the Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of the Muslims, different modern and traditional shopping places in the district town are now bustling with shoppers from all walks of life.
Thousands of people are seen purchasing items of their own choice with huge enthusiasm despite significant rise in prices of all kinds of clothes than the last year.
Salesmen of different markets, footpaths, and makeshift sales centres are passing busy times from morning to midnight as people of all ages gathered there to buy their dresses and other items to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, market sources said.
Just like previous years, Indian saris and dresses named after Indian television serials, movies and actresses, are immensely popular, especially among local women and children.
While visiting different shops and markets in the district, this correspondent saw most shopkeepers selling Indian saris, girls' three-pieces and children's dresses.
Public demand for the 'Sharara' dress has been high among teenagers after Deepika Padukone wore it in the movie 'Bajirao Mastani'. Another popular dress from this year's collection is the "Hurram" dress, named after actress Hurram from the TV serial Sultan Suleiman.
Shamsul Haque, owner of Mayabi Fashion house at Grand Haque Tower in the town, said starting from 3 year olds to teenagers, everyone can buy the Sharara dress. Variants of the dress for the girls of different ages are being sold for between Tk5000-35000.
The demand of Indian dresses is more than local ones, he added.
On the other hand, SM Mizanur Rahman, owner of a garment shop at F Rahman AC Market, said local products, particularly salwar-kameez sets for girls, shoes, saris with embroidery and stone work, panjabis, shirts and trousers produced by different local fashion houses are attracting the customers more.
Many people, especially women, girls and children of the middle and upper middle classes spend a lot of time seeing Indian television serials and movies and from there they develop a fondness for the dresses, said several salesmen and shop owners.
Buyer Sanjida Tousif said she got confused with the names of Indian dresses as the same dress is called by different name in different shop. The shop owners are using names of Indian movies, serials, actors and actresses as means of alluring children and teenagers.
Panjabis named after Bahubali, Bajrangi Bhaijan which are very popular among the youths, are selling between Tk 700-3000.
Meanwhile, sale of shoes and cosmetics has also reached its peak at the shops, shopping malls and markets, market sources said.
