The spirit of Baishakh lives on, even as sales fall flat

Every year, on 14th April, the air in Bangladesh comes alive with colour, music, and joy. Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bengali calendar, is more than just a celebration—it's a cultural milestone and a crucial time for seasonal business.

Even as the air fills with the sounds of folk songs and the streets burst with colour today, many traders and artisans across the country are bracing for a Pahela Baishakh that, while lively in spirit, feels unusually subdued on the business front.

Traditionally, Pahela Baishakh is a day of fresh starts. People dress in crisp sarees and panjabis, tuck into panta ilish, and visit fairs with family and friends. But this year, the timing was tricky—falling just two weeks after Eid-ul-Fitr. 

That overlap had a noticeable impact, and many sellers described this year's festive trade as unlike anything they've seen before.

A tough year for saree sellers

Nur E Alam, who runs a saree shop in Dhaka's Noor Jahan Market, didn't mince his words. "This was the worst Pahela Baishakh for my business," he said. "I could only sell around 10% of my Baishakh collection. It's never been this bad."

In Mirpur 1, saree retailer Golam Hosen saw it coming and decided not to stock any Baishakh-themed items at all. "All the investment would've been a total loss," he said. "So I stayed away this year."

Looking at the bigger picture, Gazi Al Amin—a wholesale seller from Mirpur Benaroshi Polli—explained how the overlap with Eid hit sales hard.

"Eid and Pahela Baishakh were just 14 days apart. Most people had already finished their Eid shopping. Usually, our building alone sees Tk70 to 90 crore in saree sales just for Baishakh. This year, we barely managed Tk12 to 15 crore."

It wasn't just Dhaka. In Shahzadpur, Sirajganj—home to one of Bangladesh's largest saree hubs—wholesaler Md Romzan Ali said the numbers told the same story.

"Last year, I was selling Tk26 lakh worth of sarees per day during the Baishakh week. This time, total sales barely touched Tk37 to 40 lakh for the whole week."

For many, it was one festival too many.

The slowdown points to something larger, people simply couldn't afford to shop for two major festivals so close together.

Ayesha Binte Tarek, a university student, summed it up plainly, "I spent everything I had on Eid shopping. I just didn't have the money left for Baishakh."

So while the spirit of Pahela Baishakh remained, the financial buzz was noticeably quieter. For many in the business community, it was a reminder that timing—and the state of people's wallets—can make or break a season.

The panjabi market

For many Bengali men, slipping into a crisp panjabi on Pahela Baishakh is a tradition that goes back generations. But much like the sharee sellers, those in the men's fashion business also faced a tough season this year.

Hannan Sofi, a retailer at Dhaka's Polwel Super Market, summed it up simply, "Eid sales were alright, but when it comes to Pahela Baishakh—there's almost nothing to talk about."

Others shared similar stories. Himel Hasan, another panjabi seller, noted a shift in his customer base. "Most of our sales came from Hindu customers this time. The Muslim shoppers had already finished their Eid shopping."

Retailers outside Dhaka felt the pinch too. Abdullah Motaleb, who travelled from Faridpur to stock up for his shop, expressed his worries. "If this trend continues, I don't know how long we can survive."

Wholesalers like Zakir Hasan in Tangail were hit even harder. "I usually sell around 17,000 to 20,000 panjabis during Baishakh. This time, I sold barely a third of that. We did well during Eid, Alhamdulillah, but now we're paying the price."

Art, craft, and a bit of hope

But not all sectors saw red. For many in the creative and informal economy, Baishakh still brought a much-needed boost.

Nilufa Ameen Dola, a student at Dhaka University's Faculty of Fine Arts, shared how meaningful the day is for her and her peers. "For us, Pahela Baishakh is just as important as Eid or Puja. We sell handmade crafts at our stalls—it's not just about the money; it's about being part of something vibrant and beautiful."

From hand-painted fans, clay toys and masks to sketchbooks, henna designs, and hairbands, the art stalls scattered across fairs inject energy and colour into the festivities. For many young artists and small entrepreneurs, these sales go beyond pocket money—they help cover tuition fees, household expenses, and more.

To support this spirit, the government has expanded its efforts this year by organising fairs at district and upazila levels—something vendors hope will make the economic benefits of the festival more inclusive and far-reaching.

Hilsa and the Bengali palate

No Pahela Baishakh celebration is complete without the star of the show—panta ilish. This humble yet iconic dish of fermented rice and fried hilsa fish is deeply woven into the Bengali identity.

And, as always, demand for hilsa surged ahead of the big day. Ali Mortoza, who has been selling hilsa at Karwan Bazar for nearly two decades, said, "The week before Baishakh is always busy. Prices go up too—cold-stored hilsa is selling for Tk1,800 to Tk2,200 per kg. Fresh ones, if you can find them, are going for Tk3,000 or more."

But fresh fish is in short supply. "Everyone wants the real deal—fresh hilsa—but they're hard to find right now," he added.

In markets across Dhaka—from Karwan Bazar to Farmgate and Mirpur—smaller fresh hilsa (300–400g) were more widely available, priced between Tk800 to Tk1,000 per kg. Medium-sized ones (550–650g) were going for Tk1,700 to Tk1,800 per kg. But in Rajshahi, Khulna and Barishal, wholesale prices for larger fish (900g to 1kg) hit Tk3,000 to Tk 3,500 per kg.

Fishermen like Rana Hawladar pointed to the ongoing fishing ban as a challenge. "It's really hard to follow the ban during Baishakh and still make ends meet. That's why the prices are this high."

Even so, tradition won out over wallet woes for many. Sadman Haque, a customer from Old Eskaton, bought two hilsa weighing around 550g each at Tk1,600 per kg. "It's not easy for a middle-class family, but it's Baishakh. I wanted to treat my family."

A festival in transition

This year, Pahela Baishakh brings with it more than just music, colour, and food—it paints a portrait of an economy in flux. The closeness to Eid led many families to prioritise their spending, resulting in noticeably slower sales in key sectors like sarees and panjabis.

And yet, there is resilience. In the face of declining retail numbers, small-scale artisans and vendors in the informal sector continue to innovate, adapt, and find new ways to connect with customers. The government's push for district-wide fairs is a step towards making the celebrations more inclusive and economically meaningful, especially beyond Dhaka.

As Nilufa put it best, "It's the colours, the people, the joy that matters most. The money helps, yes—but Baishakh is about coming together. That will never change."