Every Friday, the streets around Motijheel Ideal School transforms into a vibrant marketplace that was first initiated as weekly market by the Dhaka South City Corporation in 2007.
By 10:00am, the area turns a bustling place with makeshift stalls offering clothes, cosmetics, household items and street food and customers haggling to lower prices.
People, especially women from low and lower-middle income families, flock the weekly marketplace, cheerfully bargain at loud voices as they weave through the colourful rows of stalls.
As winter months approach, the market becomes livelier, with crowds drawn to stalls selling warm clothes and blankets, often at prices far lower than in other city markets.
Jahid, a man of about 40 years, sells bed sheets and bed covers and sometimes curtains also at the weekly market.聽
Without a permanent shop, he relies solely on this one-day market for his livelihood, hoping for bigger sales each week.
Recently, he has switched to selling winter products, particularly blankets priced between Tk 800 and Tk 2000, which have seen a sharp increase in demand at this time of the year.
Jahid points out that the items would cost Tk 2,000 to Tk 3,000 in the city鈥檚 New Market.
鈥榃e sell these items at a better price,鈥� he said proudly. 鈥楶eople trust us and come here regularly because they know they鈥檒l get quality products.鈥�
Although a weekly setup, the market has over the years has forged a strong sense of community among the vendors, they said.
They said that hawkers, both men and women and from different areas, gathered here every Friday to set up their modest shops.聽
A visit to the market on October 31 found Hamin, a cheerful boy of about 13, helping his uncle in their two stalls, one selling trousers, pants and jerseys, the other selling spices, lentils and ginger.
Hamin鈥檚 home is in Balipara village in Mymensingh and while studying at a Quran memorisation school in his village, he moved to Dhaka with his uncle.聽
The boy said that he was living with his uncle after his father remarried.
Hamin proudly manages his own expenses, selling goods worth Tk 10,000 to Tk 12,000 on holidays.
鈥業 don鈥檛 need to send money home,鈥� he says happily, adding Fridays bring him energy and excitement as business picks up.
Veteran vendor Jomir Hossain, 45, has been part of this market for 12 years.
Although he owns a small shop at Nandipara of Madartek in the city, he still brings his van to Motijheel every Friday.聽
鈥楽ales here are often better than at my shop,鈥� he said, while show his cart showcasing shirts, T-shirts, and pants, priced between Tk 600 and Tk 3,000.
鈥業 sell quality products, so the prices are a bit higher,鈥� he explains, adding that while rates are mostly fixed, a little bargaining always finds its way in.
Another trader, 50-year-old Ramiz Uddin, sells kitchenware, water bottles and tissue boxes, primarily surplus or rejected goods from big stores.
鈥楾hese would cost twice as much elsewhere,鈥� he said, as he neatly arranged his merchandise priced between Tk 100 and Tk 3,000.
The goods in the market attracted customers from all over the city, Ramiz and other sellers said.
A female shopper from Basabo, who wished to remain anonymous, shared that she visited the market regularly.
鈥業 often come here to buy curtains and bed sheets,鈥� she said. 鈥榊ou can find quality products at low prices if you look carefully.鈥�
The market鈥檚 growing appeal among women is evident in the long rows of saree stalls.
Mamun, a saree vendor for six years, revealed that many of his items are cleaned and restored from second-hand sarees.
鈥楶eople can find good sarees for just Tk 100 to 300,鈥� he said. 鈥楾hat鈥檚 why so many women come here.鈥�
Regular shopper Runa agreed, adding, 鈥榊ou can buy clothes here starting at Tk 200.
鈥楾he quality is often surprisingly good,鈥� she said.
As the sun dips behind Motijheel鈥檚 high-rises, the market continues to buzz with chatter, haggling and laughter.
