A Village Market (একটি গ্রাম্য বাজার)

A Village Market (একটি গ্রাম্য বাজার)

Introduction: A village market is an important place for the villagers. It is a large gathering of the village people where they buy and sell things for their day-to-day use. Locally the villagers call it 'hat' or 'bazaar'.

Location: Every big village in Bangladesh has got a market. A village market sits in an open place in the village. Generally, it sits by the side of a road or on the bank of a river or a canal so that the villagers can come and go easily. 

Kinds of village market: Village markets are of two kind-hats and bazaars. Bazars sit every day in the morning and break at noon. Hats sit in the afternoon once or twice a week and continue from midday to the early part of the night.

Description: Usually a village market is divided into three parts-open spaces, temporary shops, and permanent shops. In the open space shops of the same kind sit together. Here milk, fruit, betels, vegetables, fish, etc. are sold. 

This place is always crowded. In the temporary sheds, there sit the grocers who deal in oil, salt, cloves, pepper, onion, garlic, ginger, pulse, etc. These sheds are made in rows with sufficient space in between two rows for the buyers to move freely. 

In the permanent shops or stalls, the shopkeepers sell rice, wheat, flour, ghee, spices, cloth, shoes, paper, ink, and different stationery items. There are also sweetmeat sellers and tailors. Cattle are sold in some big markets. There are also tea- stalls, and shops for some barbers.

Usefulness: A village market is very useful and important in the life of the villagers. It is the village market that supplies the daily necessities of the villages. It saves them from the trouble and expenses of going to distant places to buy things of daily use.

Defects: The village market has got some demerits also. There is no fixed price for any of the items. A customer may be cheated at any time. A village market is generally a dirty and filthy place. There are no public sweepers to clean the rubbish and filth. Sometimes higgling leads to quarrel.

Conclusion: In spite of all these, the village market does great service to the rural people. Here they meet their kith and kin and exchange their news and views.