Traffic movement through the capital's Agargaon area will be a lot smoother than usual from next January as the government has decided to relocate the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar to Purbachal.

Usually, massive and quick construction works for makeshift shops start by the end of November and continue all through December every year at the fair site.

The annual showcase begins typically on January 1 and has been taking place at the same location just beside the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre since 1995.

This year, the DITF is not taking place in January and particularly at the Agargaon site, said Md Jafar Uddin, commerce secretary.

If the DITF takes place in 2021, it would be held at Purbachal, where the site has already been developed for potential foreign and local participants, he said.

The specific date has been deferred as big gatherings like this may worsen the Covid-19 situation at a time when a second wave has started affecting Bangladesh as well as the global economy, he said.

"We expect the contractor will make the Purbachal DITF site ready by December this year. The primary plan is to organise it in March. But it is not confirmed yet, and everything depends on the coronavirus situation," Uddin added.

The permanent Purbachal site is designed by the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design and was built by the China Estate Construction Engineering Corporation.

The site is being constructed on a 26-acre land, and a proposal has been sent to the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha for the allocation of a further 12 acres for the fairground.

At the closing ceremony of the 25th DITF this year, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi had said the next trade fair would be held at the Purbachal site.

The site has been developed as a permanent place for the fair as a part of a government plan to help reduce the massive traffic jams and subsequent air and sound pollution in the capital.

Moreover, the Agargaon site has been occupying a major location inside the city, and it did not have a permanent car parking.

In the new site, over 1,500 cars can be parked at the same time, and it can also accommodate over 800 shops, hall rooms, conference centres, trade information centres, meeting halls, press centre, service rooms and a power substation.