More than a dozen countries participating in DITF
The Dhaka International Trade Fair, the biggest annual trade event of the country, is going to begin today (Saturday) to showcase a wide range of local and foreign products.
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, will inaugurate the 16th month-long DITF in a ground adjacent to the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
In January every year the Ministry of Commerce and Export Promotion Bureau jointly organise the fair in which quite a few of the companies from home and abroad participate.
Three novelties have been featured in this year’s fair: a pavilion bearing the title ‘A little time with Bangabandhu’, 5,200 square feet of landscaping just outside the fair ground, and showing the fair live on big screens through online video in 13 spots in Dhaka and 10 spots in important districts across the country.
The Bangladeshi exhibitors will showcase the country’s export products to visitors from abroad.
The wide range of products that are going to be displayed include woven garments and knitwear, jute and jute products, frozen foods, leather and leather goods, footwear, handicrafts, agro-based products, light engineering products, ceramic tableware, textiles and textile products, household appliances, pharmaceuticals, chemical products, machinery, equipments and materials for agriculture and gardening, cosmetics, dairy products and equipment, electrical and electronic items, foodstuff and groceries, gift and novelty items, furniture, building materials, sports goods, sanitary ware, toys, stationeries, watches, clocks and jewellery.
‘All the preparatory work has been completed for holding the fair successfully,’ claimed commerce minister Faruk Khan while addressing a press briefing on Friday.
He said that the response from both local and overseas entrepreneurs has been better this year than the previous year. The number of visitors to the fair will also be higher this year, he hoped.
He said that the fair has a total of 486 pavilions and stalls, including 32 from 13 foreign countries.
He said that the DITF-2011, which will end on 31 January, would receive more spot export orders from foreign buyers than in other years. The spot orders in DIFT-2010 were worth Tk 22.86 crore, in DITF-2009 Tk 19.91 crore and in DITF-2008 Tk 2.06 crore.
He said that the DITF-2011 would have five special pavilions, five premier pavilions, four premier mini-pavilions, 62 general pavilions, 54 mini-general pavilions, 35 premier stalls and 321 stalls.
Besides, the fair will have 22 kiosks dispensing drinks, 4 mother and child care centres, 12 restaurants and five ice-cream outlets.
The foreign countries that are participating are Pakistan, India, China, Iran, South Korea, Thailand, USA, Turkey, Singapore, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.
Pakistan has 10 of the foreign pavilions and stalls, India 5, China, Iran, South Korea, USA, Turkey and Singapore two each, Thailand, Japan, KSA, Malaysia and UAE one each.
The fair will remain open from 10am till 10pm. Visitors will have to pay an entry fee of Tk 15 each time they go to the fair.
