The Dhaka International Trade Fair-2014, which began on January 11, witnessed a large number of visitors on Friday, the second weekend after the start of the country’s biggest trade show.
Visitors, particularly youths, flocked the ticket counters rushing to enter the fair premises at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city on the public holiday.‘Visitors’ participation is beyond our expectation. We’re expecting record spot orders from the DITF’14 surpassing previous year’s order of Taka 157 crore,’ Bikarna Kumar Ghosh, Member Secretary of DITF’14, told the news agency Friday on the fair premises.
He said the DITF’14 featured several special arrangements especially the Sundarban Eco-park, DITF e-shop, small-scale medical centre, blood donation centre, performance of local folk songs and countdown clock.
‘This year we’ve introduced a large screen movie theatre in the trade show for amusement of children,’ said Ghosh, also deputy director of Export Promotion Bureau, co-organiser of the fair.
‘Every year I wait for the fair to purchase household necessities because I get discounts here. I use to come to the fair on every Friday round the month every year,’ said Ferdowsi Islam Bristy, a medical student who came here from Uttara.
‘My children are overwhelmed with joy all the way to the fair premises,’ said Shaila Islam, a housewife who came with her two kids — Aksa and Akor — from Bhairab Bazar.
An array of local products of host Bangladesh especially electronics, traditional jamdani products, jute and jute goods, leather and leather goods, export-oriented Readymade Garment goods, furniture and handicrafts are being displayed in the show to woo foreign buyers.
Majority of the visitors were seen assembling at different stalls that are displaying home appliances, kitchenware and textiles or clothing items.
Akramuzzaman Opu, in-charge of Walton Pavilion, said at the beginning, the fair witnessed lower turnout of visitors but the number of visitors were on the gradual rise day after day.
‘We’re offering discounts for our locally-made 500 electronic items .this year in our technology goods, we’ve brought a number of new model mobile sets, which is the main attraction among visitors,’ he said.
Sarwar Jahan Chowdhury, pavilion in-charge of Sony Rangs ‘We are satisfied with the presence of visitors on the holiday like today (Friday). We hope that we will be able to fulfil our sales’ target by end of the show.’
Ayubur Rahman, proprietor of Salma Jamdani Weaving Factory, a traditional jamdani clothing manufacturer, which is displaying Tangail tant and jamdani saris, said the main objective of his company’s participation was to know the customers’ choice and attitude so that the quality of traditional jamdani clothing could be improved unrestricted.
‘We’re expecting high return from our participation but we’ll be able to know the impact of the country’s unstable political situation on the trade exposition next week,’ said Rahman.
The fair remains open from 10:00am to 10:00pm for all with an entry fee of Tk 30 for an adult and Tk 20 for a child. A total of 47 foreign companies from 12 countries including India and Pakistan are participating in the show where varieties of local and international products are being displayed in a total of 471 stalls of the show.
Jointly organised by the Export Promotion Bureau and commerce ministry, the country’s flagship trade show has been taking place in Dhaka since 1995.
-With New Age input
