Weather hampers SME product fair

There was hardly any crowd at the 9th National SME Product Fair organised by the SME Foundation and the organisers blamed the incessant drizzle induced by Cyclone Jawad for the situation. 

Participants at the fair were unhappy over the thin attendance of visitors to the fair on the first three days.

There are around 325 stalls of small and medium enterprises at the fair and they are displaying various products produced by SME entrepreneurs to attract visitors. Sellers were waiting for visitors at the stalls at Bangabandhu International Convention Center in the capital.

The sellers hoped that as the weather is getting improved, there would be some crowd in the remaining days of the fair.

The fair is aimed to bring the SME entrepreneurs on one platform so that they can introduce their products to the visitors.

Luthfunessa Meghna, the proprietor of Rafiha Fashion House, told The Business Post that the SME entrepreneurs participate in the SME product fair to get introduced with each other and increase the communication. “Making a profit is not the purpose to attend the fair but nature seems to betray us this year,” she said.

“I believe SME fair is the best medium of networking with people but if people can’t visit the fair then it’s really disappointing,” she added.

Sharmin Afroz Labony, Director of Jothashilpo, said, “Our stall is flooded with rainwater. Visitors couldn’t come but we are optimistic that our stall will be overcrowded as the weather becomes normal.”