Clothes from India and Pakistan dominate Bangladesh’s apparel market ahead of the peak sales season of Eid-ul-Fitr thanks to their affordability and attractive designs. Many consumers, especially women, prefer foreign dresses. From comparatively cheaper shopping destinations like New Market, Gausia and Chandni Chowk to posh shopping malls such as Bashundhara City, Pink City and Jamuna Future Park, people are flocking everywhere in search of suitable foreign dresses. Besides, some aristocratic fashion houses including Shoppers World, Nabila, Prem’s Collections, Zaara, Vasavi and Style Sell are also selling foreign dresses. Once the business of foreign dresses was limited to the capital and other big cities of Bangladesh, but now this trade has spread even to the village areas.

So Eid shoppers in Bangladesh are buying Pakistani salwar suits, lasas and shararas, Thai jeans, T-shirts, shirts, lasas, tops, and palazzos, Chinese gowns, skirts and children’s wear and Malaysian skirts, tops and hijabs.

Among men’s wear Indian punjabis and kurtas, Pakistani punjabis and kablis, and Chinese shirts and pants are also on the priority list. Especially the demand for Indian saris, salwar kameezes, lehengas, kurtis and tops is high. Bangladeshis still prefer to make round trips to India for Eid shopping. This time, an estimated 1,50,000 shoppers are expected to travel to the neighboring country.