Shahzadpur’s famed cloth market bustles with Eid trade boom

As Eid approaches, the historic cloth market of Shahzadpur in Sirajganj District has turned into a bustling hub of wholesale trade, with traders reporting a sharp rise in sales compared with last year.

The centuries-old market widely known as one of the country's largest wholesale hubs for sarees, lungis and other fabrics is currently witnessing transactions worth nearly Tk600 crore on each market day.

Traders said Shahzadpur cloth market sits twice a week, on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Wholesalers arriving from different parts of the country usually reach the area a day earlier to secure their purchases.

Since the start of Ramadan, the market has seen a surge in buyers and traders, filling the lanes with piles of colourful fabric bundles and the constant buzz of bargaining.

Traders said the volume of trade in the market used to average around Tk300 crore per market day before Ramadan.

After the fasting month began, transactions increased to between Tk350 crore and Tk400 crore per market day.

Now, as Eid draws near, the figure has climbed to nearly Tk600 crore.

Such massive turnover has helped cement Shahzadpur's reputation as one of the country's largest wholesale cloth markets.

Visiting the market recently,  the correspondent found rows of trucks and covered vans waiting to transport the goods along the western side of the market and the nearby Bogura-Nagarbari Highway.

Labourers busily load bundles of sarees, lungis and other fabrics onto vans and trucks, which are later dispatched to different regions across the country.

The market has also spurred the growth of numerous small hotels, lodges and eateries in the surrounding area, said Md Ramizuddin, a resident of the area.

Because accommodation and food are relatively inexpensive, traders find it convenient to stay in the area during the busy trading days.

Local traders say buyers arrive not only from different districts of Bangladesh but also from neighbouring India.

Many Indian traders arrive a day before the market opens and purchase sarees and lungi fabrics in bulk, said Md Salam, a trader.

Most of the transactions are conducted through banking channels.

Traders of the wholesale market said sarees and lungis produced in Sirajganj enjoy particularly strong demand in the Chattogram region.

Many wholesalers purchase fabrics here and later sell them in their own showrooms under private labels.

In the wholesale market, the fabrics are typically sold in pairs, bundles or rolls.

The region's handloom products have long earned a reputation across the country.

Wholesalers flock to the market daily to buy locally produced sarees, lungis, three-piece sets and other traditional fabrics.

Traders say prices of most types of cloth have increased slightly this year.

Even so, locally produced sarees and lungis continue to generate good profits after production costs.

Leaseholders of the market and handloom owners said the historic Shahzadpur cloth market, located on the eastern side of the Bogura-Nagarbari highway, sees transactions worth hundreds of crores on every market day.

They expect total cloth sales ahead of Eid this year to reach nearly Tk4,800 crore.

Officer-in-Charge  Saiful Islam of Shahzadpur Police Station said strict security measures have been put in place on every market day to ensure the safety of traders and smooth trading activities.