The foreign participants of the month-long Dhaka International Trade Fair, the country\u2019s largest and most vibrant showcasing event, experienced a \u2018very dull\u2019 business due to the ongoing political instability compelling them to rethink about their future plan.
\nA number of foreign participants at the fair venue shared their experiences with the news agency with grave frustrations though some of the local participants were upbeat about their business.
\n\u2018To me, it\u2019s totally frustrating\u2026 I\u2019ve got very poor feedback so far from the fair,\u2019 Akbar Javan, a participant from Iran, said.
\nJavan said he had also come to Bangladesh last year to explore business opportunities and found positive signals to be there. \u2018So, I participated in the fair for the first time, but hartal and blockade have apparently ruined my business here. Even life isn\u2019t safe outside the fair venue. I see busses being burnt,\u2019 he said.
\nResponding to a question, Javan of the Iranian Pavilion said he might not come next year unless political situation improves.
\nPakistani participant Rahim Baksh, representing Kashmir Handicrafts Company, also came up with similar sentiment and said they were upset over the poor respond from the visitors. \u2018You see, I left my stall, and is chatting with my friends here as there\u2019s no customer,\u2019 said a frustrated Rahim.
\nAsked whether the extension of the fair time will help them get business, he said it would not help them that much. \u2018A five-day extension would be fair enough, but customers know about the extension and are waiting for last-minute deals.\u2019
\nResponding to another question, the Pakistani participant said their per-day sales volume was only Tk 10,000 to Tk 20,000. \u2018Customers bargain to get a product of Tk 3000 at Tk 500 on Tk 1000.\u2019
\nAn Indian participant said they were not satisfied with the business feedback receiving from the fair so far. \u2018We understand, this dull business is due to political situation,\u2019 the young salesman from Kashmir \u2013 Kashmir Heritage Company Limited \u2013 said wishing not to be quoted.
\nHe said they had been, mainly his brother, taking part in the DITF for the last 15 years and wished to come again next year.
\nResponding to a question, he said they were doing comparatively better business if they compare with other stalls as they have quality products. \u2018Our daily transaction varies from Tk 20-50 thousand.\u2019
\nHowever, a local participant representing Walton expressed satisfaction as they had got a chance to meet a diverse group of customers at the fair apart from fetching some foreign orders from Spain, Europe and Australia.
\n\u2018We\u2019re not saying that we\u2019re doing better than that of previous year. Our satisfaction is we have been able to bring all products under the same roof for our customers which is not possible in a single showroom,\u2019 Walton Pavilion manager M Akramuzzaman Apu said.
\nHe said they were not concentrating on sales volume rather trying to give information about their products so that the customers could come and buy at their convenient time. \u2018We\u2019re happy to interact with the customers directly.\u2019
\nThe Export Promotion Bureau, the organiser of the fair under the commerce ministry, expressed satisfaction over the visitors\u2019 turnout at the fair.
\n\u2018We\u2019re happy. The feedback is good. Huge people are visiting the fair,\u2019 EPB vice-chairman Shubhashish Bose said.
\nThe EPB and the commerce ministry usually come with data based on
\nMaruboshi Europe BV in Bangladesh shared their experience with the participants about the overall business atmosphere in Bangladesh.
\nRene Beerepoot of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency made a presentation on Dutch assistance for firms to expand their business in Bangladesh.
\nHe said there is a Dutch fund of 750 million Euro for Dutch businesses willing to expand their business in the world\u2019s 66 countries including Bangladesh. Dutch SMEs, if approved, could receive low interest loan for up to 10 to 15 million Euro for expansion of business in Bangladesh, he added.
\nWhile sharing experience, Peter Van Bergen said he found the commitment of the people of Bangladesh as highly praiseworthy and also he found the level of spoken English very satisfactory.
\nHe said he found working in Bangladesh \u2018easier\u2019 compared to other countries.
\nVicenta Ariza said he found \u2018commitment\u2019 and \u2018enthusiasm\u2019 of the people of Bangladesh unparallel. Expressing his plan to stay in Bangladesh at least next 10-15 years, he said despite \u2018strike\u2019 or \u2018hartal\u2019 his shippers in Bangladesh never failed to deliver.<\/p>\n

-With New Age<\/strong> input<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The foreign participants of the month-long Dhaka International Trade Fair, the country\u2019s largest and most vibrant showcasing event, experienced a \u2018very dull\u2019 business due to the ongoing political instability compelling them to rethink about their future plan. A number of foreign participants at the fair venue<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n