Badrul Ahsan :The Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) 2016 drew a large number of visitors on Friday, the first weekly holiday since its inauguration.Thousands of people visited the exhibition on the day, after one-weak poor turnout, said participants.Stalls selling cosmetics, crockery, plastic products, processed food and home textiles were popular among visitors.The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and the Ministry of Commerce are jointly organising the mega event at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital that will continue until January 31.According to the organisers, visitors’ gathering in the first six days after the inauguration was rather poor. But Friday’s gathering made them hopeful about success of the fair. The participating companies of the fair are showcasing many innovative and colourful products to attract customers.Almost all the shop owners have announced various promotional campaigns as well as offering substantial cash discount on their products. Pran RFL Group has announced promotional campaign – ‘buy one – get one’ – and offered gifts with its products during the fair.The company is displaying different types of plastic-made home and outdoor appliances, food items, processed foods, soft drinks and others. It is expecting higher sales in the fair.”We are eyeing a significant number of visitors in our pavilion today (Friday),” Senior Executive (sales) Abul Kalam Azad told the New Nation on Friday. Anwara Sultana, Manager of Taifa Fashion, said, they are showcasing specially designed products only in the fair to attract customers. The company has announced up to 25 per cent cash discount on all of its products. “We worked hard throughout the year for an exceptional presentation to our customers in the fair, and started getting feedback of the effort,” she added.But many visitors were looking disappointed due to high price of goods being charged at the fair. “As I am a member of middle-income group, prices of major products on display are beyond my reach,” said Ahsan Habib, a private job holder.Some visitors also claimed that stall owners were misleading the customers in the name of discount. “Some stall owners are charging exorbitant prices from the customers, even for low quality and substandard items,” Munima Sultana, a visitor of the fair said.”People like us come to such exhibitions to pickup the best bargain of products. But in fact, the owners are making us to spend too much in the name of discounts,” she added. Stall owners, however, denied such claims, saying they are offering discount on the best quality products due to intense competition.However, some of the participants expressed their dismay, as they could not decorate their shops properly due to late handover from the authority concerned. Meanwhile, huge gathering of visitors also created terrible traffic jam in front and nearby roads of DITF. According to traffic and other law enforcement agencies, two ways trafficking system is the main reason of the sufferings.”If the roads were declared one way vehicular movement, then situation would not be created,” a traffic sergeant said the New Nation. A total of 480 stalls, pavilions and mini pavilions have been allotted in the DITF to local and foreign companies. Last year there were 497 stalls and pavilions. According to the fair organising committee, of the total stalls and pavilions, 27 have been allotted to companies from 12 foreign countries. A total of 553 stalls, pavilions and mini pavilions have been allotted to local and foreign companies. Last year there were 497 stalls and pavilions in the DITF. According to fair organising committee, 56 stalls have been allotted to companies from 21 foreign countries.
