The sales of fragrant attar, prayer caps (topi) and surma (kohl) have marked a sharp rise in Dhaka city ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
According to traders, customers are concluding their Eid shopping with the purchase of these essential items related to the largest religious festival of Muslims.
In shopping malls like Bashundhara City and Baitul Mokarram shopping complex, traders were seen busy dealing with an increased number of customers.
Traders stockpiled local and foreign attar and prayer cap varieties for sales before the start of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Such attar shops were seen loaded with hundreds of vials in various colours like red, green, yellow and golden and in various fragrances.
Turnover of these perfumes in Ramadan nearly equals to the total sales in the rest of the year, a salesperson of an attar shop at Bashundhara City told the FE.
"Attar business in Ramadan is like a harvest time for us," said Md Sazzad Hossain, in-charge of Izma Attar and Perfumery at the shopping mall.
The salespersons of the showroom have remained busy selling the items from day one of Ramadan, he added.
"We also boost our collection by importing attar from some Middle East countries, in addition to our domestic brands," Mr Hossain mentioned.
The local attar made in Sylhet region are widely popular among buyers, he said.
The flavours of local attar are known as White Wood, Black Wood, Ruhama, Amber Wood and King Wood.
Prices of these essential oils vary from Tk 600 to Tk 2,000 per three millilitre (ml) or a vial.
Attar in a wide range of smells is also brought from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
Mr Hossain said perfume like Hugo Boss, Polo Red, Cigar and Cavalli are sold at Tk 300 per 3ml.
Sales of topi have also increased in his shop.
The prices of topi vary from Tk 200 to Tk 2,000 depending on design, fabric, shape and colour.
The Pakistani stone-ornamented topi is sold at Tk 1,500, he said.
Local topi aside, large numbers of this item are imported from India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia and China, said a trader at Baitul Mukarram Market.
Md Asadullah, salesperson of Jubair Bedding and Attar House, said topi made by Malaysian brand President costs Tk 1,500 per piece.
"Among local manufacturers, topi fabricated by Marjan and Believers are mentionable," he said.
Like topi and attar, the sales of kohl have also increased, Mr Asadullah told this correspondent.
Kohl is sold at Tk 150 per 6.0ml on an average, he said.
About attar prices, Mr Asadullah said Saudi Haramine brands are sold at Tk 8,000 to Tk 9,000 per 6.0ml.
Indian Boss brand costs Tk 450 per 3.0ml on an average.
Md Habibullah, a customer, was looking for prayer caps for himself and his two sons at Baitul Mukarram Market.
"We're completing our Eid shopping with the purchase of prayer caps matching our panjabis," he said.
