Hasina foresees further progress, development in 2018

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sent her New Year’s greetings to the people of Bangladesh.

“This is the English New Year,” Hasina said at the inauguration of the 23rd Dhaka International Trade Fair on Monday.

“Let me say to everyone, Happy New Year! It is my hope that the New Year will bring progress and development.”

Hasina’s cabinet colleagues, members of parliament, top government officials, leading exporters and business leaders and local and foreign representatives attended the event at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

A documentary film on Bangladesh’s development was shown at the start of the event.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Commerce Chairman Tajul Islam Choudhury and Commerce Secretary Subhasish Basu and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Md Shafiul Alam also delivered speeches.

Export Promotion Bureau Vice Chairman Bijoy Bhattacharjee gave the introductory speech.

The Dhaka International Trade Fair is to run from Jan 1 to Jan 31 from 10am to 10pm. The entry fee is fixed at Tk 30 for adults and Tk 20 for minors.

This year’s fair has a total of 589 pavilions and stalls, with 112 large pavilions and 77 mini-pavilions.

Forty-three companies from Thailand, Iran, Turkey, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, the US, the UK, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mauritius and South Korea will take part.

The trade fair is to be held at a permanent location at Purbachal New Town from 2020.