Recently, I visited the Holiday Market on Salimullah Road in Mohammadpur, Dhaka. There I met Rishad Zaman. He said, “Every Sunday, a holiday market is held on this ground. It feels like a fair for the community. From flutes to rolling pins, everything is available here. I wait for this day, even amidst my busy schedule. I regularly stop by when I pick up my daughter from school. While shopping, I run into some of my close friends, some neighbours who may have moved into the flat next door just a few months ago. They seem to be like old neighbours. These little moments make the day special.”
From morning till night
People of all ages come to the Holiday Market. The ground is covered in a layer of sand. Shopkeepers lay down polythene sheets and set up stalls offering a variety of products. Some visitors browse casually, others shop briskly. Many pause to chat between shopping.
According to locals, residents from nearby Taj Mahal Road, Babar Road, Iqbal Road, and Humayun Road regularly attend the market. People also come from Shekhertek, Basila, Mohammadi Housing, Baitul Aman Housing, and other areas across Greater Mohammadpur.
Everything under the sky
A walk through the market reveals stalls selling nearly everything—accessories, home décor, toys, bags, saris, women’s and children’s clothing, bedsheets, tableware, mugs, spoons, sewing kits, and daily essentials. Some items are delightful and well-made; others are lower in quality. Still, prices are often nearly half those in regular markets.
Surma Yasmin, an entrepreneur from Demra, displayed her handmade home décor products. “We make corner baskets, placemats, round trays, and mats from eco-friendly materials,” she said. Her items were priced between Tk 50 and Tk 300.
As the day wore on, the market extended beyond the Salimullah Road field to the adjacent streets on the north and west. Around the field, rows of trees provided shade, under which the busy shopping continued.
Shops selling women’s kurtas, salwar kameez sets, saris, bags, bedsheets, curtains, and lace were particularly popular. Items were priced between Tk 10 and Tk 1,200.
Trisha Sarkar, a resident of Shekhertek, was buying sewing supplies at a lace shop. “I grew up in a village. This market reminds me of the bustling rural haats, where everything was available,” she said. “My mother, who’s visiting from home, isn’t enjoying the cloistered city life. She wants to sew a nakshi kantha, so I’m buying her some needles and thread. My son also insisted on getting a clay toy elephant, but it seems the potter grandpa from Rayerbazar didn’t come today.”
Not everyone is pleased
While many enjoy the Sunday market, others are irritated. Sunday is the first working day of the week after the Friday–Saturday weekend, and the market remains open from morning till night.
Several residents complain about the heavy presence of battery-powered autorickshaws congregating near the market, causing noise and congestion. Moinul Haque Chowdhury, a long-time resident of Salimullah Road, remarked, “This ground is meant for exercise and recreation for locals. A temporary market is fine, but it shouldn’t become permanent.”
Search for more markets
Mohammad Yasin, a well-known seller of salwar kameez at the market, was surrounded by eager buyers on 18 May. Regulars refer to his stall by name.
In conversation, Yasin described the broader network of holiday markets across Dhaka. “Apart from Salimullah Road on Sundays, there’s one on Mondays at Zakir Hossain Road playground in Mohammadpur, Tuesdays at the Mohammadpur Section ground, Wednesdays at Meradia in Rampura, and Fridays in front of Motijheel Ideal School and College. Small traders like us depend on these markets.”
Dhaka North City Corporation Information Officer Farzana Bobby said over the phone, citing the Property Department, that the City Corporation no longer oversees holiday market operations since 5 August. However, the grounds are still cleaned regularly by the City Corporation’s cleaning staff. She added that a new plan is being developed to rehabilitate hawkers.
Permanent solution
“If sales go bad for a day, it’s hard to run the household,” said Mohammad Yunus, a regular trader at the Holiday Market. “Today, before leaving home, I promised myself—whatever I earn, I’ll buy medicine for my mother first, then spend for the house.”
He pointed out the lack of shelter in the market, which forces traders to shut down during rain. In addition, they spend thousands of taka just transporting goods to and from the market via vans. Traders are seeking a permanent solution.
“If both city corporations designated permanent hawkers' markets in their zones, it would end this uncertainty. Thousands of families would be saved from hardship,” Yunus said.
*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition in Bangla, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat