The Dhaka International Trade Fair is set to open on Saturday (January 1) the first day of 2022.
It will be a thriving event even if the venue is a little far away, because it is an extended area of Dhaka where the communication system has been developed extensively.
This is the first time the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) is organising the trade fair at Purbachal with the cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce, instead of its traditional venue at Agargaon in the capital.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will virtually inaugurate the trade fair Saturday morning.
A visit to the trade fair venue on Friday revealed that construction of most of the stalls and pavilions was yet to be completed. Many of the firms involved are still building their stall infrastructure.
EPB Secretary and Director of the fair Md Iftikher Ahmed Chowdhury told TBS that a lot of work will be done overnight.
The commerce minister said this year's fair will have comparatively fewer stalls and pavilions than in previous years as fears of the new Covid variant Omicron continue to grow. More open spaces have been kept so that visitors can move around comfortably in the open environment.
In 2020, when the fair was last held, there were 483 pavilions and stalls, while this year the number has dwindled to 225, according to the EPB. There will be six stalls and four mini pavilions set up by foreign organisations.
Organisers said the participation of foreign companies is less this year due to the pandemic. "South Korea, India and Turkey are directly participating in the fair. In addition, organisations from many countries are participating through local agents," said the EPB secretary.
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