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Cupid promises to bring love, business

Sayeda Akter
Romance is set to paint the town scarlet and several industries eye trade worth overTk 100 crore on Valentine's Day, just around the bend.
Flowers and cards are good, but not good enough forValentine's Day.
Tailor-made packages for courting couples have been arranged by five-star hotels, restaurants, flower shops, card and gift shops, telecom operators, radio stations, bakeries, boutiques, lingerie stores, beauty salons, printing houses and real estate companies.
They have already received hefty advance orders for February 14.
Along with the world at large, Bangladesh is eagerly awaiting the celebrations that gained popularity only in the last decade and is perhaps the most celebrated day after religious festivals such as Eid and Christmas.
MA Awal, sales director of Sonargaon Hotel, said the hotel has already offered Valentine's Day specials, including food promotions and live band show for guests, spanning February 10-14.
"We received good responses from our clients for accommodation and dinner reservations and we anticipate more on the day," he said.
‘Sales will double on Valentine's Day.”
All five-star hotels are preparing to earn well over Tk 20 crore in combined additional revenues on Valentines Day, Awal said. “It's not only the upper echelon of society that is celebrating love in these five-star hotels. People from the middle and upper middle-income groups are also coming to surprise their loved ones."
Radisson Water Garden Hotel also offers an array of services for couples:
candlelit dinners, duo spa dates, live performance by Filipino band Ureka and welcome drinks.
Sabreena Rahman, senior communication executive of Radisson, said the hotel has already received a large number of advance bookings for the services on offer.
Flower shops are also blossoming under Valentine's Day sales. Upohar Flowers, located at Rapa Plaza in Dhanmondi, received orders for around 12,000 bouquets for the special day.
Ashrafuzzaman Khan, manager of Upohar, said the shop started receiving
orders from the beginning of this month, if not before.
The prices of heart-shaped bouquets range fromTk 175 to Tk 1,750.
Fems n Petals, a flower shop that imports flowers from India and Thailand, has received around 2,500 advance orders for the day.
In addition to the high-end bouquet makers, flower vendors in Shahbagh, Katabon and in the vicinity of the High Court are enthusiastic about upcoming sales.
Around 100 street flower vendors in the areas expect a rise in sales, as the
state of emergency has been withdrawn and the new elected government is in place.
“More people would now celebrate the day this year, as political stability has put people at peace," said Shahjahan Ali, a flower dealer in Shahbagh. "Another contributing factor is the ongoing Ekushey Book Fair, which would increase flower sales."
Ali said he sold flowers and bouquets worth Tk 22,000 on Valentine's Day of last year alone. He expects the figures to rise this year.
The advertising industry is also flour-
ishing as private television and radio channels are airing new advertisements from telecom operators, restaurants, beauty salons and boutiques.
Most advertisements are spreading news of the country's telecom companies' offers, including SMS contests, with opportunities for a couple to fly abroad, win ipods and lunch or dinner date with a pop icon or media personality. Operators expect a four-fold growth in SMS on that day.
Aminul Ashraf, marketing executive of Radio Foorti, said they have received around 40 new advertisements tailor-made for the day.
Greetings cards are the oldest agents to expressing one's feelings. Archies Gallery and Hallmark are two oldest gift shops that have seen continued growth in sales over the years.
"People still choose cards to express emotions despite an era of SMS," said Mushfiqur Rahman, manager of Archies Gallery in Banani.
Last year, the card industry earned revenues worth Tk 25 crore, a tenth of which came from Valentine Day cards, he said.
Whether one declares love for a person or rekindles relationships with one's sweetheart, many sectors are banking on love, as sales soar in February.
Diners including Bella Italia, Coffee World, Voot, Pizza Hut, KFC, Flambe, Spaghetti Jazz and Nando's are ready to face the valentine crowds.
Building Technology and Ideas, a real estate company, is also set to launch their newest venture Premier Plaza in Progati Sharani on Valentine's Day. They are offering discounts for advance bookings on that day.
sayeda@thedailystar.net