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The Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) did not start in January due to the coronavirus. However, the 26th edition of the month-long fair will be held at the newly built Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center (BCFC) in Purbachal next March instead of Agargaon in the capital.
BCFEC has all the world-class facilities including waiting room, conference center, business information center, meeting room, media center, service room, modern parking lot, 24 hour CCTV and even its own electrical substation.
The fair will be held in a modern venue to attract more foreign companies and customers, as well as alleviate the city’s inhabitants from the traffic congestion that used to occur in the vicinity of Agargaon.
The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and the Ministry of Commerce have been organizing month-long trade fairs since 1995 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Agargaon.
Earlier, at the closing ceremony of the 25th DITF, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said that the 26th trade fair would be held in the new city of Purbachal.
Khadija Rahman, 40, a resident of the Mohammadpur area, said that he had visited the trade fair in Agargaon many times.
‘I went to the fair to buy various products, including clothing, food, household appliances and electronic products at low prices. However, the fairgrounds were extremely unsanitary due to dust, debris, air pollution and noise, as well as the crowds, ”he said.
Expect this year’s fair to be really great in a good atmosphere and at an international level venue.
Speaking to UNB, the EPB secretary said. Iftikhar Ahmed Chowdhury said they are preparing for the online fair with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birthday on March 16 in the year of Mujib.
He said that all construction activities of the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center have been completed. Now it will be a formal ceremony to deliver.
The fair will last one month as usual, but the date has not yet been confirmed. The Prime Minister will set an exact date shortly. Then we will announce the tender and send letters to the embassies of different countries, ”he said.
Iftikhar Ahmed said that around 300 local and international stalls could be set up on 27 acres of land in Purbachal. Due to Covid-19, you cannot enter the fair without a mask to protect your health. Most of the stations will be installed in two rooms, but some stations can also be installed in the open field.
He added that they will try to maintain the international standard of the fair at Purbachal Venue to attract more foreign business and customers.
He said: “The previous DITF headquarters in Agargaon in the capital could not be arranged to maintain international standards. So the government has decided to make it a permanent place to uphold international standards.
Iftikher Ahmed said that apart from the coronavirus epidemic, the permanent headquarters is new and located outside the capital, so the presence may be less this time than in other years.
According to EPB, the 25th International Trade Fair featured 483 booths from companies from 21 countries, including Bangladesh. At that fair, Bangladeshi companies received export orders worth around Rs 200 million Tk.
Foreign companies include India, Bhutan, Pakistan, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Nepal, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Maldives, Mauritius, Russia, Iran, and Swaziland.
