Dhaka trade fair kicks off today

The month-long mega-event Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) begins in the capital today in order to showcase Bangladeshi products to boost exports.

This time companies from home and abroad will display their wares in nearly 600 stalls.

The commerce ministry and the Export Promotion Bureau, the organisers, allocated about 50 stalls to foreign companies and the rest to local companies.

Space has been allocated for two children parks, a blood donation centre, a maternity centre and a first aid centre. Companies from 27 countries will participate in the annual exposition at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka that will end on January 31, said Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed at a briefing on the fair premises yesterday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the fair.

Ahmed hoped the fair would help the country bag more export orders.

He also said the fair would shift to its permanent place in Purbachal in 2020. This year's edition was supposed to be organised at the permanent venue but the ground is yet to be ready, he said.

Organisers said the government has taken additional security measures to maintain law and order.

Shubhashish Bose, commerce secretary and Bijoy Bhattacharjee, vice-chairman of the EPB, were present at the press conference. The fair will be open to visitors from 9:00am to 10:00pm. The entry fee for adults is Tk 30 and Tk 20 for minors. Bangladesh received export orders worth Tk 243 crore from the trade fair last year, up slightly from Tk 235 crore a year ago.