Introduction: The village market is the earliest innovation of man for the exchange of goods and services. Nowadays the village markets are very common in Bangladesh. On average, there is one market for every ten villages.
Situation: The village market needs the facility of shade and water. So, it sits in a grove near a large pond or on the bank of a canal.
Description: Grains, cereals, oil-seeds, spices, oil, ghee, salt, fruit and vegetables, greens and condiments, glassware, hardware, pottery and carpentry goods, cooking utensils, aluminium articles, paper and books, writing-tools, grocery, stationery and confectionery, textile goods, healing herbs, fish and dry fish and many other things are sold in the market. Fish and vegetables have the largest sale. There are different rows for different kinds of article. In one row, we see only the grocers’ shops. In another row, we see only the grain, cereals and oil-seeds. In another row, we see only textile goods. In another row, we see only the vegetables. On another row, we see only fish, dry fish, and eggs. In another row, we see only the earthenware. In another row we see only the carpentry goods and so on. The smiths open their smithies for the day. The repairers open their workshops. They repair the burners of lanterns and solder the broken metals.
There are few sheds in the market. Most of the transaction is done under the open sky. There is a toll-house in the market-place, the toll collector sits in it. He collects tolls from those who come to sell their articles.
Noise: The dealers shout their articles at the top of their voice. The buyers ask the price and qualities of different goods. They haggle for a long time over the prices. Some people shout the names of their missing mates and children. Some auctions are made. Some officers speak to the gathering about small saving and family planning. Hence, a great noise is raised. This noise is heard to a mile or more from the market-place.
Conclusion: The village market is a great advantage for the village people. It keeps a direct relation between the consumers and the producers. It makes all the things available to the local mass. The trouble is that rustic people make the market place dirty. Epidemics spread very easily through the market. So, the village authority should try to keep it neat and clean. We must co-operate to caserne a clean atmosphere at the market.