CAIRO — With preparations are in full swing to welcome `Eid Al-Fitr, Bangladeshi Muslims are shopping for gifts to offer for their beloved during the Muslim festival. "People are now coming in to buy presents for others as most are done with the preliminary shopping of clothes," Tipu Rahman, manager of a gifts shop at the city's Hatirpool area, told Bangladesh's first and leading online newspaper bdnews24.com Friday, September 18.
`Eid Al-Fitr is expected to start in Bangladesh on Monday according to astronomical calculations.
Ahead of the Muslim festival, thousands of Bangladeshis flock to the streets to buy new clothes and toys for children.
They are also buying traditional sweets in celebration of the feast.
`Eid greeting cards are also topping the list of `Eid gifts.
"Price of our greeting cards range from Tk 10 ($0.15) to Tk 1,000 ($14.52)" said Mahbub Zaman, a salesperson at the local paper product company.
Expensive `Eid greeting cards are also available.
A Hallmark shop at the upscale Kemal Ataturk Avenue has greeting cards costing up to Tk 6,000 ($87.11) per one.
`Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, is one of the two main Islamic religious festivals, together with `Eid Al-Adha.
After special prayers to mark the day, festivities and merriment start.
During `Eid days, families and friends exchange visits to express well wishes and children, wearing new clothes bought especially for `Eid, enjoy going out in parks and open fields.
Season
The `Eid shopping spree is a booming season for gifts sellers.
"When you open this card, it plays music,” Azmal Khan, who runs a gifts shop, says, as he shows his gifts to the shoppers.
“We also have some cards which has three to four parts of folding with hard cover envelopes and ribbons."
Showpieces are also among the best-selling of `Eid gifts.
"It seems people are finding showpieces as a nice thing for an `Eid present," said cashier Anwarul Huq.
Leather goods like wallets and card holders are also carving out a place in the `Eid presents market.
"A lot of customers are pouring in to buy moneybags and card holders,” said Alam, whose tiny shop at Elephant Road deals with leather goods.
“There are even ladies buying these men's item, definitely as presents."
Pre-`Eid sales account for nearly 70 percent of the shop owners’ yearly turnover, according to shop owners.
"This is the only time of the year when most people come in and buy gifts, otherwise sales is not that much," shop owner Mizanur Rahman said.
Source: IslamOnline
| Daily News | We Are On... |
