Warm clothes sale on rise as chill grips Lalmonirhat

As biting cold continues to cause sufferings to the people, sellers of warm clothes are doing brisk business in Lalmonirhat town and other areas of the district. The cold affected people are purchasing new and second-hand warm clothes at a higher rate than that of previous years.

 Sale of winter clothes has increased in the roadside makeshift shops and different markets in the town as cold weather has been prevailing in the region for the last few days. People living in the char areas of the district are the worst affected.

People, particularly those from low and fixed income groups, are crowding the makeshift shops to buy sweaters, jackets, cardigans, woolen caps and mufflers to protect themselves from the biting cold.

"I have sold a number of second-hand warm clothes. Demand for used warm clothes is much higher than for the new ones," said Shariful Islam, owner of a shop at a roadside makeshift market near the Mogholhat railway gate of the town. People of low and fixed income-groups, like day-labourers, rickshaw- pullers and employees of different government and private organisations, are crowding his shop, he added.

Aynal Miah, a rickshawpuller, who lives in a makeshift house on the embankment of the Teesta River at Kalmati village of Lalmonirhat sadar, said, "We have been suffering extremely due to severe cold for the last few days. So, I have come to the town to buy some second-hand warm clothes for my family members saving money from my daily income." Prices of the clothes are much higher compared to last year's, he added.

Delowar Hossain, who sells second-hand warm clothes, including jeans jackets, woolen blazers and sweaters, in his shop at BDR gate market in the town, said many well-off people were also buying the same products from the market. "Young people are visiting the market to buy second-hand clothes as their quality and designs are better than those of the new ones," he added.

Jahangir Alam, owner of a garment shop at Shahan Shopping Complex at Purna Bazar Kalibari in the town, said, buyers, mostly from low-income group, have been flocking to his shop for the last few days.

Ramani Kanta Barman, a farm-labourer of Roypara in Lalmonirhat sadar, said he had bought two woolen sweaters for his children from a footpath shop near the railway station. "Quality of the clothes is very good. They even look fresh and comfortable to wear," he said.

Many shopkeepers at different hawker markets of the town told this reporter that demand for different varieties of shawls and woolen blankets is also high this year, and the prices of the warm clothes are comparatively higher this year than last year's.