Retailers charging high prices as Eid shopping reaches climax in Kushtia

JHENIDAH, July 13: Wih Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of the Muslims, approaching nearer, thousands of families from the municipality and six upazilas of Kushtia are flocking to the apparel stores of the district town everyday until midnight to buy a long list of Eid necessities such as clothes, shoes and cosmetics. However, shoppers are complaining the prices of Eid apparels have gone up compared to last year.
Buyers at different apparel markets in Kushtia town demanded formation of monitoring bodies that can have a great role to play in controlling prices, forcing shops and stalls to abide by set prices and prevent any price manipulations.
While visiting various markets of Kushtia municipality area, this correspondent found that a good number of stalls were successful in grabbing the attention of shoppers through the use of beautiful decorations.
Kushtia shoppers were pleased with the stalls offering a wide variety of Eid dresses but complained of rising prices that they believed were unjustified.
While talking the FE correspondent at Bangabandhu Super Market, Abdul Matin, a man from a Chuadanga village said that Eid apparels were a source of joy and happiness for children and adults alike. And he was buying items of her family's choice at exorbitant prices.
Afsana, a girl of Courtpara noted there is no justification for shops to increase their prices as they wished and said businesses should not take the opportunity of time. If any dress was chosen by a kid, the shopkeeper charged as high as he liked, she grumbled.
Echoing the same sentiment, some customers at different markets told the FE that many retailers take advantage of the lack of governmental regulation to inflate prices, adding that the consumer is being kept in the dark about the true prices of goods.
Meanwhile, long queues of battery-run tree-wheeler locally known as easy bikes could be seen moving bumper-to-bumper in front of the Eid markets on the busy streets. Serious traffic congestion is raising the ire of the shoppers.
The suffering ones demanded the authorities concerned to take proper steps to ease better environment. Md. Zahid Hossain, owner of New Mou Fashion, a readymade apparel shop at Islamia College Market said there has been a flurry of activity at his stall during these last days of Ramadan as consumers purchase dresses in long queues for the Eid.
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