Almost all the shopping malls, markets and fashion houses in the capital witnessed a rush of Eid shoppers on Friday, the first weekly holiday of the fasting month of Ramadan.

People couldn’t come out of their houses in the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, but they are a bit relieved as the corona situation has improved in the country.

Different shopping malls in the capital, including Bashundhara City Shopping Mall in Panthapath, Pink City in Gulshan, Jamuna Future Park in Kuril saw huge crowd on Friday.

Besides, shoppers throng Elephant Road, Mouchak Market, New Market, Chandni Chawk, Gausia and other markets to buy new clothes and other items for their near and dear ones.

Some customers, while talking to the Daily Sun, said they have been out for early Eid shopping as there will be severe traffic jam and huge crowd at shopping centres after a few days.        .

Tahmina Binte Noor, a housewife, was seen at Bashundhara City Shopping Mall with her husband and seven-year-old daughter.

“I feel comfortable to shop in the first week of Ramadan. Renowned shopping outlets bring Eid collections at least a week before the holy month. So, I find no problem in getting latest designs,” she said.

Tahmina said she bought frock for her daughter and sarees for her mother, mother-in-law and sister-in-laws and was looking for punjabi for her father-in-law and husband and shoe for her daughter.

Asked about the price of dresses this year, she said, “I found it a bit reasonable.”

A good number of children visited different shopping malls and markets with their parents.

A four-year-old Shah Makhdum Ruposh along with his grandfather was seen at a shoe outlet on Elephant Road. He looked very happy after his grandpa bought a pair of baby lighting keds for him.

Wearing the red-coloured keds, he said, “Thanks to nanu bahai. This is really special.”

Owners of local fashion houses told the Daily Sun they are very happy with customers’ response.

“We have brought plethora of designs with motifs and fabrics. This is the first holiday of Ramadan but we are getting many customers at our outlets. Hope, the number of customers will increase soon,” said Shaheen Ahmmed, owner of fashion house Anjan’s.

However, there were hardly any customers at jewellery shops. Md Rubel, a salesperson at a jewellery shop at Chandni Chawk, said girls and women buy jewellery items just before Eid day as they first purchase outfits and then take jewellery items matching with dresses.

But owners of different tailoring shops at Chandni Chawk and Gausia said they have stopped taking new orders for Eid as they have already received enough work orders.

Kazi Kamal Uddin, owner of Nipun Ladies Tailors at Gausia Market, said, “We began taking orders a month ago. Now we are fully loaded with works. We are not sure whether we would be able to complete making and delivering dresses of all our customers before Eid. Now we cannot to meet the demand of some of our regular customers.”

Sales at shopping centres and markets will gain momentum soon after the government and private employees will get Eid bonus, owners of different shops said.