Law Adviser Moinul Husein inaugurated the show while Commerce Secretary Firoz Ahmed, Pakistani High Commissioner to Bangladesh Alamgir Babar and CCCI President Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, among others, were present.

The theme for this year's fair is "Creating Opportunities for Business Linkage."

Pakistan is the partner country of the fair this year and mobile phone operator Grameenphone Ltd is the cellphone partner of the exhibition.

Business firms from the US, India, Russia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Iran and South Korea are showcasing their products at the fair, which will remain open from 10am to 10pm everyday.

Besides, there is an exclusive 'Irani and Thai Zone' comprising several stalls at the show.

Handicrafts, computer, consumer products, food items, home appliances, garments, leather goods, tribal garments, electronics, ceramic, aluminium products, jute goods, herbal medicine, silk items, building materials, marble and tiles, transformer, wooden and steel furniture, plastic goods, utensils and cosmetics are the main attractions of the fair.

Speaking at the inauguration, Moinul Husein, also in-charge of the ministries of information, justice and parliamentary affairs, said keeping the wheel of economy moving is one of the primary tasks this moment and to this end faith and confidence of the business community should be restored.

Commerce Secretary Firoz Ahmed said through easing the taxation process the government is helping the businesspeople in importing raw materials easily.

He also stressed the need for encouraging small and medium entrepreneurs and assured of boosting the SME (small and medium enterprise) sector further.

CCCI President Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said although 80 percent of the country's export and import is done through Chittagong Port, Chittagong contributes only 20 percent to the total export of the country.

The chamber president attributed this to the lack of infrastructure development of Chittagong.