Dhaka Int’l Trade Fair sees fewer visitors on opening day

The Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) 2022 has witnessed fewer visitors on its opening day as most stalls and pavilions are yet to be completed.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the month-long trade fair on Saturday.

This year the fair is being held at Purbachal which has been declared as the permanent venue for the fair.

The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) under the commerce ministry has made all arrangements to host the fair at Bangabandhu China-Bangladesh Friendship Exhibition Centre.

The previous venue at Agargaon was too small to accommodate the ever-growing number of participants and visitors.

A total of 225 stalls, including 23 pavilions, 27 mini-pavilions, 160 stalls and 15 food stalls, have been leased out to various local and international organisations.

The venue of the fair has a prayer room, children’s playground, office rooms, medical rooms, guestrooms for officials and storeroom.

While visiting the fair, it was found that maximum stalls are incomplete or under the process of decoration.

At the time of preparing stalls, one of the team members of Brother Furniture told The Business Post that they couldn’t finish the decoration of their stalls on time because of scarcity of labour.

Maximum stall owners and associated members have intentionally delayed preparing stalls assuming that the 1st day of the fair will be less crowded, said organisers. Sumon Ahmed, sales executive at the stall of Diamond World, said: “We have made our stall ready before 9am on Saturday and are getting good visitors. The overall crowd is fewer but it will increase soon.”

“Our diamond jewelry is being appreciated by the visitors and most of them are searching for nose pin,” Sumon Ahmed added.

A visitor Md Mazharul Momin said, “On the first day of the fair I thought the crowd will be less and that’s why I have come to the fair with my full family.”

The fair will remain open from 10am to 9pm every day. On the government holidays, it will run up to 10pm.

The EPB officials said the fair entry fee for adults has been fixed at Tk 40 while it would be Tk 20 for minors.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau, a number of 30 Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) buses would run from Kuril to the fair venue to carry visitors during the month-long event.