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The month-long 26th Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) opened to visitors on its new premises at Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre in Purbachal yesterday showcasing goods from around the world.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina virtually inaugurated the fair where some 227 companies from 11 countries, including India, Pakistan, Turkey, Thailand and South Korea, are participating alongside ones in Bangladesh.
There are 23 pavilions, 27 mini pavilions and 162 stalls, said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi at a press conference on the premises on Friday.
Visiting hours are from 10:00am to 9:00pm and will be extended by an hour on weekends, he said.
The entry fee for adults has been fixed at Tk 40 and minors Tk 20. No charge is applicable on freedom fighters, said a commerce ministry statement.
Some 30 buses are providing shuttle service between the DITF and Kuril Bishwa Road charging Tk 30 per person, said Munshi, adding that there were also 15 food shops.
As set by the EPB, foreign companies have to pay $6,500 to hire a small stall and $9,000 for a big one.
In case of local companies, the lowest rent for a stall is Tk 1.55 lakh while the highest Tk 17 lakh.
The new venue houses the country’s biggest multipurpose trade exhibition complex, constructed in cooperation with the Chinese government at a cost of Tk 817 crore.
Sitting on more than 26 acres, the two-storey complex has 33,000 square metres of floor space, of which 24,370 square metres are meant to be used for exhibitions. There are also 800 booths for displaying products.
Besides, the facility has 7,912 square metres of parking space capable of accommodating 1,000 cars.
The centre also has a multifunctional hall room with a seating capacity of 473 people alongside a 50-seat conference room. In addition, there are six negotiation rooms, a large cafeteria, an open space for children to play and various amenities.
Customarily inaugurated by the prime minister, the annual fair was cancelled last year for the Covid-19 fallouts.
The commerce ministry and EPB have been jointly organising the fair since 1995 in the city’s Agargaon area.
However, the venue was shifted to Purbachal due to the previous one in Agargaon having gradually turned out to be too small to accommodate the ever-growing number of participants and visitors.
(TDS)
