Last-minute shopping: New Market, surrounding areas see overwhelming crowd

With the possibility of Eid being tomorrow, subject to moon sighting, a surge of last-minute shoppers flooded New Market and its surrounding areas in the capital. Although shoppers began arriving from the morning, the crowd increased manifold after noon.

Visits to New Market and New Elephant Road showed shoppers pushing through crowds to choose their preferred panjabis, shirts, trousers, and other clothing items. From lower-income to middle-income groups, the area has become one of the most popular shopping hubs for people of all classes.

Zobayer Ansari, who came to New Market, said he will celebrate Eid in Dhaka. His holiday started today, so he is doing some last-minute shopping for the family. He said he bought a three-piece for his wife, a lungi and vest for his father, a panjabi for his son, and a shirt and trousers for himself. In his words, "The prices seemed normal. You can shop well within budget at New Market."

Meanwhile, Amir Hossain, owner of Madina Fashion at Priyangon Shopping Center, said, "At the last moment, we are selling almost non-stop. Those coming now are bargaining less but buying more."

He added that around 2pm, his shop saw an overwhelming crowd, especially for women's clothing.

In some areas inside the market, the crowd was so heavy that normal movement became difficult. Clothing shops saw the highest footfall. Alongside women, there was also a large number of buyers at children's clothing shops. Imitation jewellery shops also witnessed a noticeable presence of female customers.

A college student said she has completed almost all his Eid shopping and has now come to New Market only to buy jewellery to match her outfit.

Traders were also seen using different strategies to attract customers. In some shops, salespersons were calling out to shoppers, while others shouted, "Choose it, but it at Tk500, Tk600!"

Businesspeople said the last few days before Eid are their peak sales period. As a result, buying and selling continue from morning till late at night. Due to the pressure of customers and sales, many traders have no time even to catch their breath.