Frosty wind has started blowing across the country. The weather is announcing the arrival of winter. The footsteps of bone-shaking winter are spreading from town to town.
Around this winter season, the traders of blanket, mattress in different markets of Pabna Bara Upazila are having a busy time. Their shops are bustling with activity from dawn to night. The shopkeepers of cotton cloths are sitting arranging different kinds of clothes and cotton cloths, the washer men are happily engaged in the work of sewing cotton cloths. Such pictures have been seen in the Upazila’s markets.
Oliul, a blanket and mattress trader in Nakalia Bazar, said that the price of cotton and cloth has increased this year compared to last year, so far we have received and supplied 50-60 blanket orders. Another businessman Farooq Sardar said that due to the high price of everything in the current season, we are getting less orders for blanket materials. The money in the hands of the buyers has decreased, the total cost of making a 4-hand 5-hand blanket is 1200 to 1500 taka. I get 100 to 150 coating work in the whole winter season but this year it seems to be less. Moin Uddin, who came to buy coating in the market, said that the blanket which I bought last year for 1400 taka, this year the blanket has to be bought for 1800 taka. Another customer, Wadud Molla, said that two years ago, I had bought carpets, rugs, pillows for the wedding of my elder daughter for 5 thousand taka, this year I have to buy the same things for my younger daughter's wedding for 7 thousand taka. Tokan Ali, a coating dealer in Mohanganj Bazar of Bara Municipal area, said that big blanket is 1700 taka, single blanket is 1000 taka, children's blanket is 700 taka.
However, depending on the type of cotton, the price of blanket is more or less. Shanta Islam, the owner of a cotton, cloth and upholstery shop in Bara Bazar, said that the price of upholstery fabric and cotton has increased a lot this season compared to last season.
The price of cotton has increased by Tk 15 to Tk 25 per kg and Tk 20 to Tk 30 per yard of cloth depending on the type.
In the past winter seasons, we received orders of about 5000 covers in wholesale and retail, but this season there are not many orders for making cover cushions, but we hope to get orders of 3000 covers. Now our busyness has increased but we have to pass the remaining 9 months of the year in idle time.
With the income of the winter season, all expenses including household expenses, employee salary, shop rent have to be paid from the profit of this season. At the beginning, due to the slowness of buying and selling, I am worried about the future.