Different audio devices are in good demand across the country as campaigns for the 11th parliamentary election have gathered momentum, insiders have said.
But a section of operators said such increase in business is lower than expected level because all political parties cannot run their campaigns in full swing.
Sources said campaigners are using equipment to organise rallies, processions, canvass and play songs extolling their candidates in different constituencies.
During visit to some areas in the capital city, the FE correspondent found that many campaigners were using sound systems either at their makeshift camps or with mobile publicity units.
Sources said the majority of candidates have been using sound systems on a rental basis while few have purchased audio devices.
'Call Ready at Service' located in old Dhaka is said to be the pioneer of such business in the city.
Its Director Sagar Ghosh said: "We are capable of providing high-quality sound system to a meeting whatever its size is."
The business is now running in full swing, but the demand for such devices remains dull all the year round, he said.
Commonly known as Call Ready, the company can provide several hundred mikes and loudspeakers to organise a meeting, he added.
Sources said a set of mike including a portable battery unit is being rented ranging from Tk 500 to Tk 1,000 per day.
Krishna Ghosh, owner of KLG Sound System in the city's Laxmibazar area, said he rents a pair of 1000-watt capacity loudspeakers for Tk 2,000 a day.
"Loudspeakers make better sound than that of traditional mikes," he said.
Growing use of the audio equipment also results in a slight rise in sales, sources said.
Shamsuddin Mir, proprietor of Shimla Electronics at Stadium Market in Gulistan, said a mike consists of six separate parts namely machine, horn, unit, microphone, stand and cables.
"A complete set of mike is sold between Tk 6,000 and Tk 25,000 depending on the quality and capacity," he said, adding that the impact of election campaigns on them is not much inspiring.
He said hand mikes are sold at prices between Tk 700 and Tk 5,000.
The mikes are brought in from India and China while a good number of devices are locally manufactured.
Besides rallies and processions, sound systems are also widely used for playing politically-motivated songs.
Most of the political parties including Bangladesh Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) recorded many songs from the central committees while the candidates did so themselves.
When contacted, Jubo Mohila League Vice President Aleya Sarwar Daisy said she recorded a new song, praising the achievement of the AL during last 10 years.
"Manny of our candidates are playing songs in different constituencies," said Ms Daisy, also a panel mayor of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).
She also said she made a music video of the song available on the video sharing site YouTube.
However, many BNP activists alleged that they cannot carry out campaigns for their candidates as they are continuously facing obstacles from ruling party men.
Md Rafiqul Islam, a BNP leader in Barishal, claimed that they had planned to record four songs for Zahir Uddin Swapan, a party candidate for Barishal-1 constituency, but could not do so due to obstruction from the ruling party.
"We have recorded only one song so far," he said, adding that: "But we cannot play it as AL activists do not let us conduct campaign."
According to electoral code of conduct, campaigners must restrict their use of mikes and loudspeakers between 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm.
Election campaigns will end 48-hours before the polls slated for December 30.
