DITF 2020 starts with 80% stalls incomplete
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Wednesday
February 08, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2023
DITF 2020 starts with 80% stalls incomplete

Trade

Abbas Uddin Noyon
01 January, 2020, 09:55 pm
Last modified: 02 January, 2020, 03:18 pm

Related News

  • Dhaka International Trade Fair 2023: A chance to sample the year’s best offerings
  • Tasty Treat wins best food stall trophy
  • Dhaka trade fair to continue in line with safety guidelines: Commerce ministry
  • bKash brings offers at Trade Fair including cashback and free entry
  • Dhaka International Trade Fair begins at Purbachal

DITF 2020 starts with 80% stalls incomplete

Attributing the delay in construction to lethargy on the part of the traders, the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau, which organises the fair, said it will be fully ready in a day or two

Abbas Uddin Noyon
01 January, 2020, 09:55 pm
Last modified: 02 January, 2020, 03:18 pm
Photo: Mumit M/TBS
Photo: Mumit M/TBS

The sound of nails being hammered into timber could be heard from the main entrance of the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF). There was also the sight of workers preparing stalls with bricks, sand, brick chips and crowbars.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the 25th edition of the month-long fair on Wednesday, with almost 80 percent of the stalls and pavilions still under construction.

Attributing the delay in construction to lethargy on the part of the traders, the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau, which organises the fair, said it will be fully ready in a day or two. 

However, officials of Mir Brothers, the company assigned to manage the fair, said the delay is a result of an economic downturn and negligence of the commerce ministry. 

The manager of Mir Brothers, Mir Shamsuddin Palash, highlighted the ministry's negligence by saying, "Even though the process of allotting stalls for the fair usually starts on December 1 every year, this year it started on December 19.

"The price of space for stalls and pavilions in the fair has also been increased. Therefore, the fair has failed to draw the expected response from traders this year."

During a visit to the fair on opening day, this correspondent found that even the pavilion of the organiser, the Export Promotion Bureau, was incomplete. Sitting arrangements had been made for officials of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh without constructing the stall, although no officials were seen there.

The Digital Information Centre, from where various services including digital map, way finding and directory are provided at the fair, was also not ready. Moreover, there was no equipment or official there.

Photo: Mumit M/TBS
Photo: Mumit M/TBS

Most of the stalls and pavilions were still under construction, but a few had been completed. The people manning the completed stalls were busy arranging their products. 

A total of 27 foreign pavilions have been set up in the fair this year, but none of them were ready on the opening day of the fair.

Large brands and firms prepare their pavilions well ahead of the inauguration of the fair every year, but that has not happened this year.

The staff of the Pran-RFL Best Buy stall were still arranging their products on the first day. They said that though the interior of the pavilion is complete, the exterior is not. Therefore, they are going slow with arranging the products.  

Asked about the delay, the member secretary to the fair and deputy director of the Export Promotion Bureau, Md Abdur Rauf, said they had made an effort to complete construction on time, but the traders had delayed in taking allotment of the stalls. 

He, however, said the fair will be fully ready in a day or two.

A total of 483 stalls and pavilions will showcase quality products from home and abroad at the fair this year. There are 112 regular pavilions, 27 foreign pavilions, 11 foreign mini pavilions, 128 mini pavilions and 243 stalls.

Companies from 21 countries, including the USA, the UK, Italy, Australia, Germany, China, South Africa, Turkey, the UAE, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Pakistan and Brunei will take part in it.

Photo: Mumit M/TBS
Photo: Mumit M/TBS

The fair will be open from 10am to 9:30pm every day till January 31. The entry fee has been set at Tk 40 for adults and Tk 20 for children, an increase of Tk 10 from last year.

Export earnings from the fair were $19.46 million last year. The earning was $35.5 million in 2018, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

The traditional month-long fair, starting on the first day of the new year of the Gregorian calendar, has been jointly organised by the EPB and the commerce ministry since 1995.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the 25th Dhaka International Trade Fair 2020 at its usual venue at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital early on Wednesday morning, from the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

She said Bangladesh can produce more bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, auto parts, electric and electronic items, accumulator batteries, solar photo-vaulting modules and toys under the light engineering section.

"We have scope to invite more investment and we have a huge market for light engineering products," she said.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi presided over the programme. The chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce Ministry Tofail Ahmed, Commerce Secretary Dr Jafar Uddin, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Sheikh Fazle Fahim and Export Promotion Bureau Vice-Chairman Fatima Yasmin also spoke at the programme.

Bangladesh / Economy / Top News

Dhaka International Trade Fair

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Photo: TBS
    Dhirasram ICD financiers finalised, construction to begin in 2024
  • Photo: Rajib Dhar
    Girls fare better in this year's HSC exams; over 9% drop in pass rate
  • Photo: PID
    Govt making all-out efforts to implement SDGs: PM Hasina

MOST VIEWED

  • India to import goods from Bangladesh by rail
    India to import goods from Bangladesh by rail
  • File image
    India allows goods import from Bangladesh by rail, framework set
  • Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS
    Direct container shipping to the United Kingdom starts on Friday
  • Photo: Collected
    No barrier in wheat import from India: Tipu Munshi
  • Photo: Courtesy
    Ctg Chamber president slams edible oil hoarders
  • Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS
    NBR to allow more firms easy release of goods from ports

Related News

  • Dhaka International Trade Fair 2023: A chance to sample the year’s best offerings
  • Tasty Treat wins best food stall trophy
  • Dhaka trade fair to continue in line with safety guidelines: Commerce ministry
  • bKash brings offers at Trade Fair including cashback and free entry
  • Dhaka International Trade Fair begins at Purbachal

Features

Illustration: TBS

Planning to study abroad? Explore these four underrated scholarships

5h | Pursuit
Representational image. Photo: Collected.

The understated perks of journaling

5h | Pursuit
Photo: Reuters

A tragedy that will also shake up the region's geopolitics

19h | Panorama
Nimah designed by Compass Architects- Wooden tiles. Photo: Junaid Hasan Pranto

Trendy flooring designs to upgrade any space

1d | Habitat

More Videos from TBS

30% companies see double-digit growth even in hard times

30% companies see double-digit growth even in hard times

21h | TBS Insight
Challenging time waiting for RMG

Challenging time waiting for RMG

1d | TBS Round Table
"Full Moon Meditation" organized by Department of Theater and Performance Studies, University of Dhaka

"Full Moon Meditation" organized by Department of Theater and Performance Studies, University of Dhaka

1d | TBS Graduates
10 cricketers who have played over 400 T20 matches

10 cricketers who have played over 400 T20 matches

1d | TBS SPORTS

Most Read

1
Photo: Courtesy
Panorama

From 'Made in Bangladesh' to 'Designed in Bangladesh'

2
Master plan for futuristic Chattogram city in the making
Districts

Master plan for futuristic Chattogram city in the making

3
Photo: Collected
Crime

Prime Distribution MD Mamun arrested in fraud case

4
Leepu realised his love for cars from a young age and for the last 40 years, he has transformed, designed and customised hundreds of cars. Photo: Collected
Panorama

'I am not crazy about cars anymore': Nizamuddin Awlia Leepu

5
Photo: Collected
Startups

ShopUp secures $30m debt financing to boost expansion, supply chain

6
ICB to withdraw Padma Bank investment as return eludes
Banking

ICB to withdraw Padma Bank investment as return eludes

EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]