Footpath vendors see dull Eid sales this year
Monday, 29 September 2008
Jasim Uddin Haroon
City's footpath hawkers Sunday said their Eid sales dropped this year, like last year, mainly due to decline in the purchasing capacity of the poor people.
They claimed their sales fell by around 30 per cent over the past year amid rising prices of clothing items and footwears.
"We think that the poor people have been facing troubles doing Eid shopping due to the price hike of food and commodities that costs them extra this year," said Md Waliullah Patwary, president of Bangladesh Footpath Hawkers Parishad.
People of different strata come to the footpath shops for cheaper products ranging from shirts, trousers, kids wears, shoes, socks, sandal, Punjabi, salwar-kamiz, perfume, cosmetics, under wears and other household items.
A shirt is available on the footpath shops at price ranging between Tk 120 and Tk 250, trousers between Tk 100 and Tk 250, panjabi between Tk 120 and Tk 250, T-shirt between Tk 60 and Tk 150, a pair of sandals or shoes between Tk 120 and Tk 250 and salwar-kamiz between Tk 220 and Tk 300, according to hawkers.
"My sales dropped by about Tk 3000 per day this year," Md Abul Kasem, a vendor at Baitul Mukarrom area said, adding : "I used to sell goods worth around Tk 10,000 a day during the same period in last Ramadan".
Shamsul Alam, another footpath hawker, who sells different bags at Bangabazar area said his sales also dropped this year.
"I am involved in this business over the past five years, but I experienced poor business last year, and this year the situation is same," he said.
He sells different bags to carry clothing and others during traveling ranging Tk between 120 and Tk 230 a piece.
Hawkers said two days rain disrupted their business adding their business might grow today (Monday) and tomorrow (Tuesday), the last two days before Eid-ul-Fitr.
"We expect garment workers and others will get bonus and then our business might grow in the last two days," said Patwary.
Currently, the places where hawkers are selling their products every day are Jurain, Postagola, Jatrabari, Motijheel, Gulistan, Baitul Mokarram, Doel Chattar, Farmgate, New Market, Mohakhali Amtali, Mirpur Stadium, Mirpur-1 (Shah Ali majar area), Gabtali, Mirpur-11, Mirpur Rokeya Sarani, Gulshan-1, Mirpur Islami Bank premises.
They collect the cheap products from different local garments located at the out skirts and old parts of the city.
Md Monir, a hawker who sells Punjabi at Farmgate area said he sells around 40 pieces a day.
"I sold at best 50 pieces Saturday which coincided with Lailatul Qadr," he said.
They said this year, they have not paid anybody for sitting on the footpath ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
'Excepting for this year, we used to pay toll every Ramadan for doing business on the footpaths to the local influential people like ward commissioners or people backed by different influential politicians, Patwary said.
City's footpath hawkers Sunday said their Eid sales dropped this year, like last year, mainly due to decline in the purchasing capacity of the poor people.
They claimed their sales fell by around 30 per cent over the past year amid rising prices of clothing items and footwears.
"We think that the poor people have been facing troubles doing Eid shopping due to the price hike of food and commodities that costs them extra this year," said Md Waliullah Patwary, president of Bangladesh Footpath Hawkers Parishad.
People of different strata come to the footpath shops for cheaper products ranging from shirts, trousers, kids wears, shoes, socks, sandal, Punjabi, salwar-kamiz, perfume, cosmetics, under wears and other household items.
A shirt is available on the footpath shops at price ranging between Tk 120 and Tk 250, trousers between Tk 100 and Tk 250, panjabi between Tk 120 and Tk 250, T-shirt between Tk 60 and Tk 150, a pair of sandals or shoes between Tk 120 and Tk 250 and salwar-kamiz between Tk 220 and Tk 300, according to hawkers.
"My sales dropped by about Tk 3000 per day this year," Md Abul Kasem, a vendor at Baitul Mukarrom area said, adding : "I used to sell goods worth around Tk 10,000 a day during the same period in last Ramadan".
Shamsul Alam, another footpath hawker, who sells different bags at Bangabazar area said his sales also dropped this year.
"I am involved in this business over the past five years, but I experienced poor business last year, and this year the situation is same," he said.
He sells different bags to carry clothing and others during traveling ranging Tk between 120 and Tk 230 a piece.
Hawkers said two days rain disrupted their business adding their business might grow today (Monday) and tomorrow (Tuesday), the last two days before Eid-ul-Fitr.
"We expect garment workers and others will get bonus and then our business might grow in the last two days," said Patwary.
Currently, the places where hawkers are selling their products every day are Jurain, Postagola, Jatrabari, Motijheel, Gulistan, Baitul Mokarram, Doel Chattar, Farmgate, New Market, Mohakhali Amtali, Mirpur Stadium, Mirpur-1 (Shah Ali majar area), Gabtali, Mirpur-11, Mirpur Rokeya Sarani, Gulshan-1, Mirpur Islami Bank premises.
They collect the cheap products from different local garments located at the out skirts and old parts of the city.
Md Monir, a hawker who sells Punjabi at Farmgate area said he sells around 40 pieces a day.
"I sold at best 50 pieces Saturday which coincided with Lailatul Qadr," he said.
They said this year, they have not paid anybody for sitting on the footpath ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
'Excepting for this year, we used to pay toll every Ramadan for doing business on the footpaths to the local influential people like ward commissioners or people backed by different influential politicians, Patwary said.