Except for the past two years, Pohela Boishakh has been a major driver of the local fashion market for over a decade. It is a festival that brings out the shopping spirit in Bengalis — especially when it comes to sarees, panjabis, and kids’ outfits. These clothes are usually rich in traditional designs and motifs that reflect Bengali heritage.

But over the last two years, the overlap with Ramadan and Eid dulled the buzz. Even though it has been almost two weeks since Eid-ul-Fitr this year, the Boishakh shopping wave did not pick up. The domestic fashion market is still quiet. Sales have been significantly lower than expected, leaving sellers disappointed.

Shoppers and retailers both agree — high inflation played a major role. Most customers spent heavily on Eid clothes, and their wallets were already stretched thin. So, when Boishakh came right after, there just was not enough cash left for another round of shopping.

Yesterday (April 13), Bonik Barta correspondents visited several of the capital’s major shopping malls. Popular local fashion brands like Bishwo Rang, Aarong, SaRa, Nipun, Clothing, and Jeans Factory had all launched their Pohela Boishakh collections. Their showrooms were decked out with colorful jamdani sarees, block prints, festive panjabis, fatua, and vibrant kids’ wear. But there was not much of a crowd.

Some curious shoppers peeked into stores, asked for prices, bargained, and left empty-handed. Many shopkeepers said they had already predicted slow sales this season. As a result, they did not even bring out any special Boishakhi collection.

One of the largest shopping malls in Dhaka is Bashundhara City Shopping Complex in Panthapath, where several leading local brands have outlets. Bonik Barta spoke with officials at some of these outlets. While they had hoped Boishakh would help revive business, that did not happen. In fact, some of them are struggling to even meet their daily operating costs.

Bishwo Rang, a well-known name in local fashion, is famous for its colorful and festive clothing. Following the Eid-ul-Fitr, they revamped their entire outlet with fresh Boishakhi outfits. But the expected crowd did not show up. Shahin Ahmed, the outlet’s showroom in-charge, shared, “Sales are a bit better than the last two years. But since Ramadan ended earlier this time, we thought sales would pick up more. That didn’t happen.”

In the same mall, local brand Anjans also saw a quiet season. Salahuddin, the outlet manager, said, “We didn’t even release a new collection for Boishakh this year. Demand in the market is already low.”

Another local brand, Nagardola, skipped launching any new Boishakhi collection too. Their manager, Nusrat Jahan, confirmed the same.

But not everyone had the same experience. Local brand Cray Craft shared a different story. According to Aman Ullah Khan, the store’s manager, “Almost all our sarees are sold out. A lot of our Boishakh shoppers actually finished their shopping during Eid. That’s why there aren’t many buyers left now.”

Shoppers, however, say that while Pohela Boishakh is a beloved celebration, it has not really reached every corner of society. The tradition of buying Boishakhi outfits and enjoying panta-ilish is mostly limited to the upper and upper-middle classes. On the other hand, with inflation still high, the lower and lower-middle-income groups are barely managing daily expenses, let alone festival shopping. For many of them, Boishakh just does not feel the same.

Yesterday, a private sector employee was seen browsing through several stores at a shopping mall. He told Bonik Barta, “Everyone gets a bonus during Eid, no matter what sector they work in. But for Boishakh, only government employees or a few private banks offer bonuses. So for most of us, it’s still hard to afford shopping for the occasion.”

Another private employee, Wahab Sarkar, said, “Prices are high across the board. Even vegetables that were affordable during Ramadan have gone up again. We’re already struggling with daily household costs—buying new clothes for Boishakh feels more like a luxury than a celebration.”