Rows of Indian product stalls are a regular sight at the Trade Fair. Among the more popular items being sold at this year's Indian stalls are shawls and winter clothes, cutlery, kitchen accessories, jewelry and footwear Photo: Rajib Dhar
“Customers are always looking for good shawls as it is still winter and shawls are very fashionable,” said Imran Mirza, owner of a Kashmiri shawl stall. “Shawls at budget prices are the most sought-after, while those costing up to Tk3,000 are also proving to be quite popular.” Another Indian clothing stall owner, Khurshid Ahmed Sufi, voiced his satisfaction at the how the first weekend of the fair was advancing, saying: “Customers are not only interested in shawls, but Indian clothes as well.” “I have sold clothes costing as much as Tk20,000, while other decorative ornaments such as cushions are also proving to be well admired this time around,” he added. A visitor at the fair, Uzma Zaman, said: “Local products can always be bought from the local markets, but genuine foreign products are not so easily available, especially at good prices and deals.” “It is next to impossible to find a shawl I like. Moreover, I can get good deals on Indian shawls and clothes at the fair, and there are plenty of stalls and collections to choose from,” she added. In addition to shawls and clothes, customers were also seen crowding other Indian stalls selling goods such as cutlery and jewelery, with most of the customers being women. In addition, Indian footwear stalls were also packed with customers, with the manager of such a stall, Prateek Das, claiming: “Sales are good. All my products cost above Tk1,000 each, and we have had a large number of customers since morning.” Another popular attraction at Indian stalls was the array of kitchen utilities such as vegetable cutters. Salespersons provided live demonstrations of their products every 20–30 minutes, speaking in megaphones to the large number of eagerly watching spectators gathered outside their stalls.
