With the Ramadan starting with weekends this year, shoppers in the city took the chance to do some early shopping on Friday and Saturday, the first two days of the holy month. Traders, however, said, their business is yet to pick up the festival gear.

In various markets of the city, shoppers were found roaming from shops to shops looking for latest collections ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest Muslim festival as well as the biggest shopping time of a year in Bangladesh, reports the UNB.

Sabina Akter, who works in a private company told UNB that, she came to Chadni Chawk market, to do some shopping for Eid, reports the UNB.

 ‘The Ramadan has started, and we don’t get time for shopping in the weekdays, so I thought why not start the preparation early. Also the markets remain comparatively less crowded in the early days of the month, so it is easier for us to look for the necessary things’, she added.

Hasan Al Faisal, a dress seller in New Market, said, in spite of having a good number of visitors, selling is comparatively low. Though the market become crowded before the Iftaar hour, most of them come to visit only.

‘Sales will gain momentum after a few more days’, he added.

Rubel Ahmed, another salesman of a shoe shop, said the business will remain low for the first seven or eight days. It will gear up with the Eid day coming closer.

Ashrafi, a student from Dhaka University said, he is going to his village as his classes have been closed already.

‘Before going to home, I came to the market to do some shopping for the family and for myself’, he said.

Sayedatunnesa, a student of Dhaka Dental College said, she visited the boutique shops in Baily Road looking for new collections of this Eid.

‘New collections have started coming, so I thought of paying a visit to the markets as I remain busy with classes during other days of the week’, she told UNB.

In Mouchak Market, lace shops were found being more crowded than others.

A salesman said, many prefer to design their own dresses and that’s why they start buying the materials at the start of the month as the tailors will stop taking orders later.

Another shop owner, Md Jaglu said, weather is a big draw back in the business right now. Many customers are not coming to the markets due to sudden rain fall. Whoever coming now, are buying staffs so that they can get those at a low price.

Though, in the first two days of Ramadan, markets were mostly abuzz with visitors than buyers, city retailers are optimistic about sales this year.