Curtain falls on fair of force & feeling
Syed Tashfin Chowdhury
‘Military Hardware Exhibition - 2004' that entertained over a hundred thousand people daily, giving them the opportunity to feast their eyes on a huge amount of arms, ammunition, artillery, along with explanations on survival and army techniques, terms from Bangladesh Army personnel for the last five days, ends today. The exhibition took place at the National Parade grounds, adjacent to the old airport. "I learnt a lot and on seeing what the military tasks are, I have much respect for our force," said Rezaul Islam, a university student, who visited the fair yesterday. The fair grounds were decorated with a mixture of creativity and practicality, making it unique this year. Maps and informative charts of the stalls and details of the various weapons were much appreciated by the crowds. The army pavilion with over 33 stalls displayed items like tanks, artillery guns, 60 mm mortars, anti aircraft cannons, anti aircraft guns and surface-to-air missiles. Most college and university students thronged the para-commando stall showing interest in the arms, survival techniques and gears on display. Rabbits, pigeons, turtles and various kinds of reptiles were also on display as these species are the only food most commandos find for survival in deserts or uninhabited combat zones. Besides the army pavilion, the grandly decorated Air force and Navy pavilions also attracted large crowds. The Air force pavilion had a number of miniature planes, missiles, air craft models like A-5, PT-6, Hercules C-130 on display. Souvenirs were also being sold at a few stalls. The Navy pavilion displayed four replicas of their ships where visitors got the feel what a Navy ship and its armaments were, while maps, uniforms, navy gear that were on show enthralled most visitors. Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF) in its stall displayed ambulances, water trailers, pickup vans, tractors and mobile workshops. "The artillery stall was possibly the best," said Rezaul, when asked about his favourite. "At least over 1 to 2 lakh visitors were entertained daily," said a soldier, on the site. Even though, the timings of the fair were from eight to five, the fair sometimes dragged on till 6:30 because of public demand. "This just goes to show the curiosity and concern people have for the military and only through these events, can their feelings be appeased," said the soldier.
| 
