Feature: Bango Market: a "shopping paradise" in Bangladesh

Despite its shabby appearance, the Bango Market in this capital city, with thousands of shops showcasing a great variety of fashionable products and branded casual wears, has been the favorite shopping destination for both locals and foreigners living in Dhaka.

For bargain hunters, they would prefer to go to the Bango Market rather than some large shopping malls such as the Basundhara City and Jamuna Future Park, the most prominent in the capital city.

The Bango Market or Bango Bazaar, established years after Bangladesh's independence in 1971, is a block west of Dhaka's prominent Gulistan bus station at the edge of old part of the city.

Thousands of small stalls in the market intersected by narrow walkways are often crowded with people eager to get their money's worth in what has been dubbed as the "shopping paradise" in Bangladesh.

The shops sell products, including imported ones, at both retail and wholesale prices.

When customers walk into the market, they would be bombarded by a cacophony of enticements from vendors to lure them into buying their products.Every vendor has his or her own way of attracting customers: some advertising their products as the best in the market; others would pull customers to their stores and convince them that they are selling products at bargain prices.

The bazaar is famous both in Bangladesh and other countries for the availability of all types of clothes and electronic products at bargain prices.

Shirts, denims, pants, trousers, bags, and other dry goods are available at the market.

For the past 14 years, Md Apu has been running his garment store in the market. He said the market is a good place to sell ready-made garment items. "We sell export quality jeans, jackets, overcoats and many other products at both wholesale and retail prices," he said.

Apu said that clothe traders from all Bangladeshi districts come to this market for wholesale purchase. He said that foreigners who live or visit Bangladesh also shop in the market because of its cheap garment products.

"I shop here because the products are of good quality and relatively cheaper," said Kibu, a tourist from Bhutan.

More customers go to the market to shop during the months of November, December and January because this is the time when people buy winter clothes.

Toufique, who uses single name, said he goes to the market with his family at this time of the year to buy garments for his family with the onset of the cold months. "I like to shop here because the prices are cheaper compared to those in big malls and shopping centers," he said.

Md Kabi, a shop owner, said that in Bango Market, the shops offer a wide variety of items, including those well-known international brands. "We really sell good-quality products," he said. Endi