Eid economics goes on a binge

Shoppers are now busy buying prayer accessories like topi or traditional prayer cap, attar, surma (kohl) and tashbi, at the peak of shopping binge, to accomplish their festival preparation as the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration is barely five days ahead.  

The sales of fashion wears, shoes and cosmetics are also on the final shopping binge.

This year, the sales have increased significantly compared with the Eid economics of previous years, said sellers at Baitul Mukarram Mosque Market, Kakrail Mosque, and the shopping malls and footpaths surrounding the two major sites of pious people.

Alongside the shopping of main items, the crowds of shoppers buy topi, rosary, attar, jainamaj (prayer mat) and other prayer accessories to attend Eid congregation with religious fervors on the morning of Eid day.

After visiting the Baitul Mukarram market, the hub of prayer accessories in the city, the FE correspondent found Wednesday more than a hundred shops busy selling the items - local and imported.

Many kinds of prayer caps, such as hajji topi at Tk 100 to Tk 250, Yemeni topi at Tk 150 Tk 300 and China topi at Tk 250 to 350 per piece, are available at the markets.

"People are getting more fashion-conscious, and style in prayer cap has also been changing in course of time," said Belal Hossain, the owner of Belal Cap House at Baitul Mukarram market.

He said, "You can buy Omani caps, Chinese caps, Hajji caps, Turkish caps at Tk 300-2000 each, whereas Bangladeshi qoumia caps, embroidered caps, Bhashani caps, plastic caps will cost Tk 30-300 a piece."

The trader said in recent times the sale of local prayer cap has increased significantly thanks to better quality and competitive prices.

He said for fulfilling the local demand they imported the prayer caps from Chin, Pakistan and other countries.

In case of imported prayer caps, China and Pakistan are holding leading and second positions respectively, the seller said about the international trade involving religious rituals and festivals.

Abdur Razzak, a leader of the traders' association at the market, said there are more than one hundred attar, cap and rosary houses at the market and more than 150 shops on the footpath surrounding the national mosque.

He said inside and in front of city's all shopping malls there are prayer accessories corners. As a result, alongside other shopping activities, the prayer accessories houses are also passing busy time.

He said imported Pakistani cap prices range Tk 50-1000, Chinese caps Tk 100-800 and Indian caps Tk 100 to 150.

Momen Mollah, the owner of All Haramine Attar Centre, said the demand for locally manufactured topi was increasing on both domestic and overseas market.

He said local-brand prayer caps are being exported to around 40 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Pakistan, India, South Africa and other Middle-Eastern countries, after meeting the domestic demand.

Country's domestic market size of prayer cap is Tk 3 billion. And 80 per cent of the demand is met with the local makes.

Rezaul Karim came from Dhanmondi to procure ancillaries of Eid items.  He says, "Eid shopping is incomplete without the prayer accessories."

He bought two caps from Baitul Mukarram market at Tk 300 each.

Mahfuzur Rahman, from Mirpur, said he bought a Pakistani jaitun rosary set at Tk 500 and China jaitun rosary at Tk 450 and Bangladeshi cod prayer mat at Tk 300 for his family.

With other items of Eid shopping, he has bought some of prayer accessories, including cap, rosary and attar, to put a cap on the Eid shopping.

Abu Taher, a salesman at Hazrat Shah Ali Plaza, Mirpur Section 10, said most of the customers choose foreign mats from Belgium at Tk 1,500-8,000, Syrian at Tk 1,200-2,500, Turkish Tk 1,000-1,500.

He says during Eid, a new prayer cap wearing has a traditional appeal more than on other religious occasions.