By Tahamina Islam Talukder
DHAKA, Dec 29, 2020 (BSS) –Sale of winter clothes is gearing up in the capital city’s markets and elsewhere in the country as the mercury has started falling at the advent of winter.
People are visiting different shopping malls and makeshift shops for buying winter clothes. Seasonal traders who sell shirts, pants and panjabis at the city’s makeshift shops around the year, are now selling colourful winter clothes and blankets.
During the visit to different makeshift markets it was found that being unable to overlook the sellers’ beckoning, pedestrians stop for a while and skim through the new winter collections.
There are various types of garments such as shawls, sweaters, headbands, caps, mufflers, fur-lined coats and cardigans are being sold at these makeshift cloth stores, roadside pushcarts and shopping malls.
“Demand for warm clothes is increasing as the winter intensifies. But the price of winter garments has also gone up this year as production dropped this season with the companies facing difficulties in importing fabrics, threads and other accessories in time due to the global pandemic COVID-19,” said Md. Ruman, who was selling sweaters near Gulistan’s pavement.
He said the price of normal gents’ sweater is Tk 350 this year which was Tk 200 in last year and the price of ladies’ normal shawl is Tk 600 this year which was Tk400 last year.
Retailers at Mouchak Market said they sell local and imported blankets of different types and sizes. This year, the prices of blankets are higher than the previous years.
Sirajul Islam, a trader in the market, said as well as local blankets, they are selling Korean and Spanish blankets also.
This year, the price of large size Korean blankets is varying from Tk1600 to Tk 6000 depending on the quality.
The price of large size Spanish blankets is between Tk 4,500 and Tk 8,000 this year which was between Tk 3500 to Tk 6000 last year.
Arefin Rahat, a private university student, came to Nujahan market from Motijheel area to buy a jacket.
“There are different designs of jacket in the market but the price is almost double. The denim jacket which was sold at Tk 1,000 last year is now being sold at Tk 2,000,” he said.
Besides, people having limited incomes are also busy purchasing second-hand sweaters, jackets and other warm clothes with reasonable prices from footpaths.
Hawkers near Mirpur-1 Mazar road, Farmgate bus stand, Dhaka New Market, Dhaka College, Elephant Road, Purana Paltan,Baitul Mokarram, Gulsitan, Bangabazar, Motijheel and Rajdhani Super Market are selling warm clothes at affordable prices.