Sheikh Raquibuddin & Sons

Down here on Idgah Road, things get pretty crowded, especially around Naya Bazar. Sheikh Raquibuddin & Sons is tucked in where the noise from the market is loudest. It’s a family name on the sign, and that’s how it feels inside too. We’ve got stacks of items everywhere. It’s not the kind of place where everything is perfectly lined up on glass shelves. We know where everything is, even if it looks a bit messy to someone just walking in from the street. The dust from the road comes in whenever the door stays open too long. Most of our day is spent talking to people who stop by or handling the inventory that comes in through the back. The building itself is old, with narrow stairs and those heavy doors that have been painted over more times than I can count. We usually have the radio playing softly in the background, but the sounds of the bazar usually drown it out by noon. It's practical work. We don't spend time on decorations or making the place look like a showroom. If you’re looking for us, you just find the spot on Idgah Road where the trucks are unloading. It’s a lot of manual work, lifting and moving things around. We drink a lot of chai to keep going. That’s just how life is here in Naya Bazar for us. We stay busy and keep the doors open.