EPB fails to send products in Kolkata on time
A five-day home and decor fair in Kolkata has virtually turned to be a two-day exposition for five Bangladeshi furniture producing companies as their products could not reach the fair ground in the first three days. The products were supposed to reach the fair venue under the supervision of Export Promotion Bureau — a state-run organisation. The fair that began on December 10 ended on Sunday and the Bangladeshi participants said though they completed all the procedure in due time under the EPB’s supervision, their products reached the fair ground on December 12 night.
The EPB senior officials, however, claimed that the Bangladeshi participants could not show their goods only for one day.
EPB deputy director Abdur Rakib said they were late for only one day to reach the products to the fair ground and Bangladeshi participants could not display their products on the first day of the event.
‘We have heard that the products had to stay at Indian customs due to some procedural problems, but we do not know the exact cause. We could showcase our products only for two days there,’ Salim H Rahman, managing director of Hatil Complex Ltd, told New Age on Sunday.
EPB vice-chairman Shubhashish Bose told New Age that the participants might have been late in sending their products to the EPB causing the delay.
Replying to a question, he said ‘We take responsibility only to send the products, not bringing them back. The participants either have to sell their products or to keep them to their distributors, if any, while coming back to the country.’
An official of Navana Furnishers said they had sent the products to the EPB in due time and it was the responsibility of the government body to
send the goods in right time to the fair ground.
Another EPB source said the products had to stay at Indian customs as no representative of the Bangladesh high commissioner was present on the border in due time to receive the products.
GS Marketing Associates organised the five-day specialised fair titled ‘Home and Decor’ at Science City Ground in Kolkata.
Five Bangladeshi furniture companies — Akhtar Furnishers Ltd, Hatil Complex Ltd, Navana Furnishers, Partex Furniture Industries Ltd and Pran-RFL — took part in the fair.
-With New Age input
