Staff Reporter :The 19th Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) yesterday witnessed a huge crowd with the rush of visitors because it was the second weekend holiday after its inauguration on January 11, organisers said. They said, over two lakh people visited the country’s biggest trade show on Friday after a poor turnout during the last one week. The Export Promotion Bureau and the Ministry of Commerce are jointly organising the mega event at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital that will continue February 10.While visiting the DITF, this correspondent found long queues all day long as men and women, especially youths gathered on all ticket counters, to enter the fair ground. The queues started from Chandrima Udyan, from Agargaon-Taltala bus-stand and from Sher-e Bangla Agriculture University campus. “I had to wait more than one hour to buy a ticket for entering the fair,’ said Akhtar Hossain, a resident of city’s Moghbazar area who went with the members of his family.He said he came to the fair mainly to buy a television for his family.Like the past, favourite pavilions for the visitors were of home appliances, jewellery, plastic products, home textiles, food items, groceries and furniture.New generation televisions like 3D, LCD, LED and Touch Screen have drawn the attention of many shoppers in view of the upcoming T-20 cricket World Cup and the World Cup Football.Crockery, jewellery, plastic products and home textiles have good demand.Almost all the shop owners have announced various promotional campaigns as well as offered substantial cash discount on their products. “The fair was experiencing low sale and fewer visitors over the last week but todays’ gathering made us hopeful about the success of this fair,” said Biyejeet Hossain, Manager of Fit Elegance mini-pavilion. Fit Elegance is a local company producing suit, trouser and blazers for local and foreign market. He added: Customers turnout was satisfactory today (Friday) boosting the sales turnover. Bengal Plastics Ltd, a sister concern of Bengal Group, has announced promotional campaign – ‘buy one – get one – and offered gifts with its products during the fair.A huge number of visitors came to our pavilion today (Friday) and sale rose sharply,” said Moinuddin Azad, Senior Executive (sales) of the Bengal Plastics pavilion. However, many visitors were seen disappointed due to high price of goods being charged. “Product prices at most of the stalls remained high and these are beyond the reach of middle income group people,” said Selina Akhtar, a housewife, went the fair from the city’s Mirpur area.She alleged some stall owners are charging exorbitant prices from the customers, even for low quality and substandard items. Stall owners, however, denied such allegation, saying they are offering discount on the best quality products due to intense competition. Severe traffic jam was also experienced due to the huge crowd at the DITF in the afternoon in the adjacent areas of the fair ground.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.
