Bangladeshi shoppers outnumber Indians in Kolkata mall

The iconic New Market in Kolkata was abuzz with Bangladeshi shoppers on July 1, the day India stepped into the new tax regime, just a day after the market's traders observed a total shutdown demanding simplification of Goods and Service Tax (GST) norms. Shopkeepers and traders of the market appeared to have forgotten the loss of the previous day as a huge number of Bangladeshi shoppers, who came to Kolkata either for medical or business purpose, rushed to the popular shops in the market, reports the Times of India. Bangladeshis way outnumbered loyal Kolkata shoppers at several better-known shops. Manirul Islam, a Dhaka-based businessman in his early 30s, bought a whole range of cookware from Symphony, a popular destination for home appliances. Manirul, who had come on a business tour to Kolkata a couple of days back and is scheduled to take a flight back to Dhaka on Sunday, spent most of Saturday shopping at New Market. "It is really satisfying that I could buy a whole lot of things for my family, including the much-needed cookware, at pre-GST prices," he said. Sabina Begum, a Dhaka-based entrepreneur, picked up her favourite brand of cosmetics from Royal Store, a famous destination for Tollywood celebrities. Sabina, who runs a chain of beauty clinics in Dhaka, expressed her happiness as the shop offered a pre-GST rate and she did not have to pay an inflated price for the beauty products. "I had come to Kolkata to visit a health clinic and the day before my return, I thought I should buy some beauty products for my store," Sabina added. Parveena Islam, a retired teacher of a government college in Jessore, came to Kolkata for the first time along with her sisters and nieces. She spent most of her day buying varieties of clothes, home appliances, cosmetics and chocolates from different stores in New Market. She had to hire a couple of porters to carry the day's buys to an adjacent hotel on Lindsay Street. At the end of the day, the traders, too, heaved a sigh of relief. Ashok Gupta, the president of S S Hogg Market Traders' Association, felt that the Bangladeshi shoppers saved the day for New Market shopkeepers. "We are anxious about the new tax regime which, if not rectified, will adversely affect our lives. We observed a shutdown against it on Friday and suffered a great loss. On Saturday, the day started with anxiety as there were hardly any customers around. But as the day progressed, Bangladeshi customers saved us from incurring huge losses," said Gupta.