People crowd shops to buy quilts, blankets

OUR CORRESPONDENT

GAIBANDHA, Jan 11: As a cold wave is sweeping many parts of the country, people are crowding shops to buy quilts and blankets.

Due to quilts' high prices, people of lower incomes were seen buying blankets to protect themselves from the shivering cold.

During a visit to Kachari market in the district town, this correspondent has found that essential materials for making quilts are being sold in high prices.

Traders said quilt makers have been found busy making quilts in different markets in seven upazilas of the district.

Quilt makers said that the increases in the prices of cloth and cotton have put some effects on the market.

Shimul cotton is selling at Tk 490 to Tk 500 per kg, black hull at Tk 80 to Tk 90, black rabish at Tk 50 to Tk 60, Karpus cotton at Tk 320 to Tk 350 and white cotton at Tk 110 to Tk 130.

Making a medium-size quilt costs Tk 1,300 to 1,500, traders said, adding that the quilt price depends more or less on cotton's quality.

Gaibandha Sadar Upazila Station Badiyakhali Bazar cotton and quilt business Md Majidul Islam told the Financial Express that with the increase in the cotton price, the cloth price has increased by Tk 5-10 per yard.

Md Shafi Mia, proprietor of Pahari Bedding Centre in Kachari Bazar, has told the FE that despite the onset of winter, quilt sales are low than last year's.

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