PM inaugurates Dhaka International Trade Fair 2016

The Dhaka International Trade Fair 2016 has kicked off on the first day of the New Year, just as it did in previous years.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the 21st edition of the fair on Friday.

She wished everyone a happy New Year in the beginning of her speech during the inaugural ceremony.

She urged entrepreneurs to pay more attention to raising the quality of products and branding.

"Diversify products. We will have to find global markets for our products," Hasina said.

She emphasised on production and export plans based on demands.

The prime minister also urged the private sector entrepreneurs to intensify their role in the processing of products.

Companies from 22 countries are taking part in the fair this year.

It will remain open to the public from 10am to 10pm every day in January.

The price of tickets is Tk 30 for adults  and Tk 20 for children.

Mauritius, Ghana, Japan, Nepal, Hong Kong, Morocco and Bhutan have joined the fair for the first time.

The other countries include India, Pakistan, China, Malaysia, Iran, Thailand, USA, Singapore, Turkey, Australia, UK, South Korea, Germany and the UAE.

In the past two years, the atmosphere of the fair was frightful due to political turbulence.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has hopes of a record-breaking business in the fair because the atmosphere is ‘favourable’.

Export Promotion Bureau has organised the trade fair.

Bangladeshi traders received export orders worth Tk 850 million in the previous year's fair. In 2014, the amount of export orders was Tk 800 million.

The fair will attract at least 100,000 visitors every day, according to Tofail.

The foreign organisations have 56 stalls and pavilions among the 553 small stalls and big pavilions allotted on the 31.53-acre premises this year.

The fair has a Bangabandhu Pavilion to highlight Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the independence war of Bangladesh.

Other special facilities include mother and child centre, children’s park, Eco Park, eShop, ePark, 52 toilets, a mosque, three car parking accommodating 770 cars, mother care centre and healthcare centre.

Besides police, RAB, BGB and Ansar, the organisers have appointed private security organisations. A magistrate will be present to take steps upon complaints filed by visitors.

They said firemen and 100 close-circuit cameras have been deployed to secure the perimeter.