Int'l expo on water tech begins Thursday

A three-day international exposition on water, wastewater technologies and solutions will begin in Dhaka on Thursday.

In partnership with Local Government Division, the Conference and Exhibition Management Services Ltd (CEMS) will organise the “2nd Water Bangladesh International Expo 2018” in the capital's International Convention City Bashundhara.

Some 50 exhibitors from nine countries, namely Bangladesh, India, China, Spain, Italy, Turkey, the US, Sri Lanka and Thailand, will participate in the event, said Meherun N Islam, president and group managing director of CEMS Bangladesh.

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu is expected to inaugurate the exhibition.

“In the coming days, water will replace oil in terms of importance. So, in a small country like Bangladesh we will have to be conscious about how we use our scarce water resources,” said Islam.

“We have to develop our water management systems and put in place latest technologies,” she added at a press conference at the conference hall of the Economic Reporters' Forum in the capital.  At the exhibition, entrepreneurs will be able to get familiarised with new technologies and services related to water.

Companies which already have a presence in Bangladesh directly or through agents as well as the companies which want to explore business opportunities in the country will take part, said Noyem Sharif, head of marketing of CEMS Bangladesh. The exposition will feature one seminar titled “Moving towards a water WISE Bangladesh” and a workshop titled “Wastewater Treatment and Reuse: Selection and Managing Basic Advance Technologies”. 

Speaking at the briefing, TIM Zahid Hasan, consultant of CEMS Bangladesh, said, “The water of the Buriganga river has become so poisonous that you can't even touch it. It is damaging the environment as well.”

“It can also be said that we are drinking liquid poison and age-old systems cannot improve the water supply system. We need modern technologies and solutions.”

The Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, the Rural Development Academy (RDA) Bogura, and the UNDP Bangladesh are the technical partners of the event, while The Daily Star, the daily Samakal, and Independent Television are broadcast partners. The exhibition is open for all from 10:30am to 8:00pm.

Tanveer Qamrul Islam, executive director of CEMS Bangladesh, and Md Abdur Rashid, director for research and evaluation of the RDA, spoke.