As the Winter approaches in the country's Northern region, hundreds of low-income groups were seen thronging at the footpaths' warm clothes make-shift markets of Rajshahi city.
However, many people think the winter is being delayed this year. Though it is the third week of November, many district people were using electric fans to get rid of warm weather in the daytime. However, the nights are cold and people need to wrap themselves with thin blanket at night.
Meanwhile, thousands of low and the fixed income-group people including day labourers, rickshaw- pullers and workers of different government and private organisations of the northern region are thronging at the footpath-clothe market to buy warm clothes. However, even at the footpath markets of the city, the price of warm clothes is a bit higher this year compared to previous years.
The poor people are seen to flock to the footpath market and the makeshift shops at Ganakpara Square, Shahebbazar, New Market, Laxmipur Square, Station Roadside, Zero Point, and Sonadighi Square to buy second-hand warm clothes including sweaters, jackets, cardigans, woollen caps and mufflers, wrapper, blanket and coat. The price of these clothes increased 50 per cent over the last year.
Hosneara Begum, 40, a housewife in the Talanda area under Tanore upazila was seen visiting the railway roadside market near the rail gate on Monday noon. She informed that she works as a worker at the tomato field in her area. She said, I have to start working in the morning and continue till late afternoon. It is cold during the morning and night. That’s why I came to Rajshahi to purchase a woollen sweater and a shalwar to wear during cool weather. She further said that she would also like to purchase some warm clothing for her daughter. But, she complained that the price of warm clothes is higher this year. The lowest price of a woollen sweater is Tk 250 and a piece of salwar is Tk 200.
Abdul Quddus, a retired college teacher of Rajshahi who was visiting Ganakpara warm cloth markets, said, there are many second-hand warm clothes on sale in the markets which look amazingly new. No one will be able to notice that those clothes were purchased from second-hand markets. He said he would purchase a jeans pant and a leather jacket from the market.
Abdullah, who sells second-hand warm clothes including jeans jackets, woollen blazers and sweaters in Ganakpara market, claimed many well-off people also go there to buy second-hand warm clothes. The youths in particular are frequently visiting the market to buy different items as their quality and designs are better than new ones, he added.
