C T Online Desk: Shopping centres, fashion houses and other retail outlets in Dhaka found a reason to smile on the occasion of Durga Puja, the biggest annual festival for the Hindu community which begins today, with traders saying sales had exceeded expectations.
Retailers said one of the main reasons behind the increase was due to people being unable to go to Kolkata for shopping due to not getting a visa this season.
During most festive seasons, including ahead of Durga Puja, fashion brands, apparel retailers and consumer electronics retail brands bring in new collections and come up with various offers, including discounts.
Priyanka Das, a resident of the port city of Chittagong, said she had so far spent Tk 50,000 shopping for her family over the past two weeks.
She purchased panjabis, trousers, shirts and other accessories for her father, husband and brother. Apart from this, sarees and other accessories were purchased for her mother and other relatives.
As a sign of gratitude, she bought a panjabi for her son’s doctor. “It’s a pleasure for him. He is not just a doctor; he has become a member of my family,” she added.
Shaikat Sarker, a private sector employee in the capital, said he purchased eight saris for his mother, wife and two sisters, as well as shirts, t-shirts, pants and shoes for himself.
“This puja is our biggest festival. There is a kind of joy in giving gifts,” he said.
Sales usually pick up around 10 days before the beginning of Durga Puja, one of the biggest religious festivals in Bangladesh. In addition, sales continue for at least three more days after it kicks off.
Hindus account for about 10 percent of the country’s population.
