Bangabazar traders' woes linger as makeshift shops fail to draw customers

Bangabazar traders dreamt of a minimum recovery from the fallouts of the recent devastating fire with open-sky sales ahead of Eid, but their makeshift shops are yet to show signs of relief.

The shops have so far attracted a few customers over the last couple of days since their opening, which traders say is very frustrating.

"At such a time last year, we sold goods of Tk2-3 lakh per day. But today I have sold worth Tk200 so far. It was Tk600 yesterday," Shahidul Islam, owner of FNF Garments, told The Business Standard.

The trader suffered a loss of Tk20 lakh as his four shops along with thousand others were burnt to ashes in the inferno on 4 April.

A salesman of the shop, Mohammad Himel, said he used to earn Tk50,000 in salary and bonus on Eid. "In the current situation, I cannot expect a single paisa as the shop owner is struggling to buy daily iftar for us."

The Bangabazar area – popular for apparel items among bargain-loving people – would remain abuzz with wholesale and individual customers throughout the fasting month of Ramadan. Days in the last week before Eid would be extremely busy. The massive fire incident has made it lifeless this time.

Traders, who used to bring smiles to the faces of lower-earning people by offering clothes at cheap prices, are now unable to offer clothes to their families.

On Sunday, shopkeepers and salesmen were seen passing idle time on mobile phones and chatting with each other in front of their temporary shops installed on the land of burnt markets. Although more than 500 traders have been set up there, many did not open their shops until the afternoon due to the lack of customers. Only 30-50 visitors were found strolling in the area at a time on the day.

"In the past years, we had no scope to talk to retail customers before 15th Ramadan for crowds of wholesale buyers, but this time we have seen neither wholesale nor individual customers after the fire," said Shahadat Hossain, another shop owner.  "I was thinking that I would get my fixed wholesale customers at least, but it did not happen. Today I have just sold a pair of pants."

"Even the wholesale traders with whom we have had long-standing business relations are reluctant to come to us," he told TBS.

Shahadat Hossain cannot now think of turning around as has a bank loan of Tk9 lakh but no earnings at all. His brother who also had shop in the Bangabazar market is in the same fate, as well.

Customers who visited the makeshift market on Sunday said they enjoyed their shopping for comfortable space and low prices.

Hadiuzzaman, a private service-holder who came from Old Dhaka, bought clothes for his mother, father and niece. "Because there were almost no buyers in the market, I was able to buy everything very cheaply. I didn't have to bargain. I bought two sarees at Tk750 and Tk1500. It seems to me that the shopkeepers have sold these at losses," he said.

The Bangabazar blaze that came under control after six hours gutted 3, 845 shops, according to a probe by the Dhaka South City Corporation, and damaged goods and infrastructure worth Tk303 crore.