Companies that have received management standards such as ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and HACCP certification as well as QMS consulting and certification houses, which provide services for achieving such quality standards, will participate in the three-day show.

The fair titled 'Quality Fair 2006' aims to create awareness about quality management among the business houses and professionals in Bangladesh, organisers said at a press meet in Dhaka yesterday.

"The QMS standards can help enterprises grow and enhance their business performance as well as improve reputation," said Muhammad Musharraf Hussain, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of QMS Professionals (BAPQ).

Hussain said global buyers are increasingly asking for the QMS standards. Some local buyers including Bangladeshi government agencies such as Rural Electrification Board have recently started giving preferences to buy products from those businesses, which have such standards, he added.

He also said presently around 700 companies have certificates on QMS while the figure is around 7.5 lakh globally.

Organisers said some 140 stalls will be set up at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka, the fair venue.

They said various industries and services sectors such as telecommunications, IT, banks, office equipment manufacturers, advertising companies, law and audit firms along with the multinational companies that have QMS certification from the ISO are expected to participate in the fair.

The BAQP in association with the Katalyst and the Strategica are jointly organising the event. The Daily Star and the Channel i are the media-partners of the fair.

BAQP Vice-president SM Washiuddin, Strategica Chairman Md Razib Pervez and Managing Director S Mahabubul Alam also spoke at the press briefing.