The winter is setting in, but Bangabazar wears an unusual look.

The once lively centre of apparel trading in Dhaka's south, which was synonymous to shopping for winter clothing for many, is now a shell of what it used to be. Traders in the market, once the biggest shopping place for cheap apparels, have witnessed a steep decline in their sales after a catastrophic fire burned almost 6,000 shops to ashes in April, 2023.

The market used to be abuzz with activity during this time every year, as many retail shoppers as well as buyers from around Dhaka and other districts came to purchase winter clothes. With the market burnt down, the traders are now selling their items in a makeshift market.

The hustle and bustle of the Bangabazar of old, however, is not being replicated at this makeshift market. Things remain eerily calm. In the quietness, 52-year-old Jamal Uddin waits for customers in his shop from 8:00am until the evening.

"Ever since the fire gutted three of my shops, my business plummeted. Even though the winter has arrived, I don't see any prospect of business," said Jamal, who has been a trader in the market since 2010.

Photo: Palash Khan

"During the last winter season, I sold warm clothes worth about Tk 2 to Tk 3 lakh every day. Now I have products worth Tk 1 lakh in my shop, but in three days, I have only been able to sell products worth about Tk 50,000," he added.

In previous winters, shopkeepers in Bangabazar sold large quantities of warm clothes. But this winter, the scene is different.

Both wholesale and retail sales are low this season. Shopkeepers are not seeing the usual brisk business of selling new winter clothes.

"There is no extra profit in selling winter clothes. Very few traders from different districts are coming this winter season so I have no hope," said Didar Hossain, owner of Sanya Fashion.

Monower Hossain Montu, owner of Best Fashion, said, "Every day, I display Tk 10,000 to 20,000 worth of products in my shop. But over three hours today, I have only sold products worth Tk 2,340."

"But during the winter season, I usually sell over Tk 10,000 worth of clothes per day," he added.

He also said many customers are now looking at different wholesale markets to buy clothes, like Narayanganj, Signboard, Kaliganj, and Sadarghat.

This correspondent spoke to over 20 shop owners who echoed Montu.

Jahangir Hossain, a manager of Fatema Garments, said, "Due to the decreased number of customers coming here, traders are not investing more capital."

He said the traders are hoping for a better situation in the coming days, but there are fears that this may just be a pipe dream.

The market owners claimed that other than a one-time Tk 25,000 payment from the district administration, they did not get any financial support after the fire.

Some funds were created, but they have not received any support from them.