Bangali women cannot imagine a festival when they will not wear sari, bindi and bangles when on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh their passion for these beauty products, especially the bangles, knows no bounds.
While people rush for punjabis, fatuas, saris, salwar kamizes, baby clothes, ornaments, cosmetics and footwear, women never forget to buy bangles on Pohela Boishakh.
Apart from saris, fashionable bangles match well with western clothes, salwar kamis, tops and kurtis and this is why it always has a special place to every woman’s mind.
To tap this market with huge demand, businesses also come up with these fashion items, especially bangles, keeping in mind Pohela Boishakh.
Glass bangles are very popular among women and girls. Besides, bangles made of different materials such as metal, plastic, wood, soil, bead and cotton have become quite popular these days.
During visit to Chawkbazar areas in old Dhaka, known as the hub of all types of bangles, the shops were seen displaying bangles of different colours and designs.
Dealer Salauddin Ahmed says they here sell their products at wholesale prices.
“The demand for bangles is very high in the suburban area than the capital,” he mentions.
At Chawkbazar, around two hundred shops are there selling bangles. Once, Monihari Banik Samiti Market was known as the hub of bangles but now the buyers also go to Arif Mansion, Latifa Plaza, Khan Market, Khawaja Market and other places at Chawakbazar.
Zahid Hasan, one of the shop owners of the area, informs that though most of the bangles were once locally produced, now imported bangles are controlling the market.
Anita Devi, a retailer, who came here from Tangail to buy bangles, bought glass, silk and metal bangles from Sonar Bangla Chori Ghor at Surmapatti of Chawkbazar.
The vendors say women from villages and suburban areas are their main buyers at the retail level.
According to them, bangles with metal shades are sold at other times but the sales of glass and silk bangles increase manifolds during festivals such as Pohela Boshakh, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eidul Azha, Durga and Saraswati pujas.
Mahmuda Akter came here from Mirpur area to buy bangles and bought many bangles matching with her dresses.
When asked why she took the trouble to come here to buy bangles, she said the collection of bangles in these shops of Chawkbazar was big.
“From here, we can buy our preferred bangles at reasonable price,” she said, with a smile.
There are about thirty bangles manufacturing factories at Shahidnagar of Lalbagh. Ahead of Pohela Boishakh workers there have been passing busy time.
Md Masud, one of the workers of Siam Metal, said: “Though at other times of the year we do not have enough work, now are up to our ears in work, working for more than 10 hours a day.”
He said at other times, per day they supplied 400 to 500 bundles of bangles but now ahead of Pohela Boishakh it went up to 1,000 to 1,500 bundles.
Another hub of bangles
A head of Pohela Boishakh, a Boishaki fair of bangles and other accessories for women is going on in front of Genetic Plaza of Dhanmondi 27.
Around 25-30 vendors selling bangles are participating in the fair, which is pulling a huge crowd of women of all ages.
The fair started on March 25 and will continue till April 14.
Abu Bakar Siddique, who sells bangles on the city footpaths, said: “I have come to the fair to sell more.”
“At this fair, our sales double. While at other times I sell bangles worth Tk2000 to Tk3000, my sales go up to Tk20,000-Tk25,000,” he said, expressing his satisfaction.
