The country鈥檚 markets are witnessing a sharp rise in demand for Pakistani clothing items ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslims to be held at the end of March subject to moon-sighting.
Shopping malls in the capital Dhaka are filled with various Pakistani outfits, drawing significant customer interest.
Meanwhile, demand for Indian clothing has declined due to reduced imports, which are largely attributed to visa complications between the two neighbouring countries.
According to data from the Chattogram Custom House, obtained by聽抖阴精品鈥檚聽Chattogram correspondent, Bangladeshi traders imported over 9 lakh pieces of Pakistani dresses between December 2024 and February 2025, which is an increase of nearly 1 lakh pieces compared with that of the same period in past year.
In contrast, imports of Indian dresses stood at 13 lakh pieces, significantly lower than the 17 lakh pieces imported during the previous year鈥檚 Eid season.
Bangladeshi traders primarily import three-piece, two-piece and panjabis from Pakistan, while Indian imports usually include three-piece sharis, lehengas, panjabis and kids鈥� wear.
However, traders said that while men鈥檚 clothing was mainly sourced from domestic brands, a large portion of women鈥檚 Eid attire was now dominated by Pakistani and local brands.
A visit to several shopping malls in the capital revealed a heated market, with traders selling a mix of Indian and Pakistani clothing alongside domestic fashion brands.
Moreover, online shopping has also gained speed, with many buyers purchasing Eid outfits through social media and online platforms.
Traders said that Pakistani dresses had attracted customers due to their intricate embroidery, block prints and comfortable fabric, such as lawn, cotton and chiffon. Popular choices include salwar-kameez, sharis and three-piece suits.
Women, in particular, show a strong interest in Pakistani clothing brands such as Noors, Organza, Tawakkal, Sadabahar, Bin Hameed, Farsi and Agha Noor.
According to the traders, the prices for Pakistani dresses range from Tk 2,500 to Tk 30,000.
On the other hand, Indian attires have seen a drop in demand.
A salesperson from聽Manaviea Attire聽at Bashundhara City Shopping Mall in the capital told聽抖阴精品聽that Indian clothing prices had increased and designs were becoming repetitive.
鈥楿ntil 2022, there was only one dedicated Pakistani dress shop in our block. Now, there are nearly 15,鈥� he added.
Another retailer from聽Soulmate, a shop specialising in Indian dresses, said that visa complications and changing consumer preferences were key factors behind the decline.
鈥業n the past, certain Indian outfits would go viral before Eid, leading to high demand. That trend has shifted in favour of Pakistani fashion,鈥� he added.
Even shops that stock both Indian and Pakistani dresses are seeing a more substantial response for the latter.
A salesperson from聽Adhunika聽noted that Pakistani outfits were outselling Indian dresses this Eid season.
However, the rising demand has also led to an influx of counterfeit Pakistani dresses on the market and the traders admitted that some copies were either fully replicated or mixed with domestic fabrics, making them 20-30 per cent different from the originals.
While Pakistani and Indian attires dominate women鈥檚 fashion, domestic brands like Yellow, Richman, Gentle Park, Sailor and Aarong continue to cater to men鈥檚 Eid wear. They all reported increased sales ahead of the festival.
In Chattogram, Nasir Uddin, owner of聽Sana Fashion Mall聽in Teribazar, the city鈥檚 largest wholesale and retail clothing market, said that demand remains strong for local and imported dresses.
鈥楶reviously, Indian clothes were brought in by luggage parties, but this year all imports have come through formal letters of credit, raising prices by about 10 per cent,鈥� he added.
Abdul Mannan, president of the聽Teribazar Traders鈥� Association, acknowledged the high demand for foreign designs but expressed concerns over sluggish sales.
The number of buyers on the market is still relatively low, but they expect a surge at the end of the week as Eid draws nearer, he said.
All major shopping centres in the country鈥檚 major cities have been adorned with colourful lights to attract customers.
Customers from a diverse range of backgrounds were passing a busy life buying their desired Eid items as a number of them received their salaries and festival bonuses.