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International trade fair opens Jan 1

Shahnaz Parveen
Fourteenth Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF). the biggest annual event for entrepreneurs and manufacturers to showcase goods and services to buyers will begin on the New Year's Day.
Preparations are on, including setting up of stalls and pavilions, in full swing at the venue at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
The fair is also a grand event of entertainment for Dhaka dwellers creating enormous opportunities of shopping spree. The event attracts crores worth spot orders for participants every year.
This year the participating firms hopes to get more than Tk50cr spot orders at the month-long gathering of local and foreign traders.
Mohammad Mostafa, Director (Finance), Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) told the Star City that pavilions and stalls have been allocated to the participants through auction and selection in some cases.
More than 25 percent structural work and other preparations of the fairground have already been
completed, he informed.
The DITF is a yearly programme of Bangladesh government, which mainly aims to showcase local products to foreign buyers. The Ministry of Commerce and Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) has been jointly organising the fair in Dhaka since 1995.
The fair also provides an opportunity for foreign manufacturers to introduce their technologies and products to Bangladesh market.
Sri Lanka will be the partner country of the 14 th DITF scheduled to continue till January31.
This year the DITF has around 451 participants opening up 4 special pavilions, 4 premier pavilions, 50 general pavilions, 41 mini pavilions, 275 stalls, 12 restaurants and many other booths of varying sizes offering a big assortment of goods.
The participants themselves will decorate their own pavilions and stalls whereas the EPB is spending Tk. 6 crore to construct the basic structures.
The exhibition will put up a wide range of local and foreign products including
machinery, equipment and materials for agriculture and gardening, carpet, chemical and allied products, cosmetics, dairy products, electrical and electronic items, food and groceries. gift items, handicrafts, home appliances, leather, leather goods and footwear, sports gear, sanitary ware, textile and garments, toys and stationery’, watches, clocks, jewellery, ceramics, plastic products etc. Banking and customs
services will also be available at the fair.
The participation of foreign countries at DITF as gone up to 12, which was only seven last year. Apart from Sri Lanka being the partner country, other foreign countries include USA. Germany, Japan, Singapore. Thailand, China, Turkey, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, UAE.
The highest number of 22 foreign countries participated in the trade fair in 2002.
DITF authorities have allocated a special area to Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) and Shandhani who will organise blood donation camps at the fair. There will also be a mother and childcare centre at the fair.
According to the authorities, security will be beefed up this year with plainclothes police officers and RAB personnel patrolling the fair premises while male and female police personnel deployed at all entrances. Besides. 40 closed-circuit cameras will be installed at different strategic points.
Dhaka City Corporation will be responsible for keeping the fairground clean and maintaining the public toilets while Fire Service and Civil Defence will proride water carrier and keep watchful with fire extinguishing equipments.
Number of entry gate has also been increased to four from previous year's three. Entry fee has been fixed atTk. 12 increasing from last year's Tk. 10. However, the fee for children aged between 3 and 12 will beTk 7.
The fair will remain open from 10am to 10pm everyday.