The 24th edition of the month-long fair began on Wednesday aimed at promoting locally made products to both global and domestic buyers.
President M Abdul Hamid inaugurated the fair at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi was present during the inauguration.
However, visitors at the Dhaka International Trade Fair 2019 (DITF 2019) were disappointed on its opening day, as most of the stalls and pavilions are still under construction.
Very few visitors were spotted at the fair, as exhibitors are yet to complete the construction of their stalls and pavilions.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Rabeya Akter, a visitor at the fair, said: “I came here with my family to see what is on sale here, but I am very disappointed because most stalls are not ready yet.
“I had to wait around three hours at the entrance as the authorities did not let us in until 5:30pm, although they were supposed to let us in at 3:30pm," Rabeya explained.
However, exhibitors blamed the 11th parliamentary election for the delay which led to too many holidays at the end of December, resulting in a lack of manpower to complete construction on time.
“It was difficult to get workers, and managing other services during the election campaign, which delayed the construction of our pavilion,” said a pavillion manager.
However, he claimed that their construction will be complete within the next two days.
This year, the main attractions at the fair are furniture, electronics and electrical appliances, food and beverage products, clothing, cosmetics, carpets, and jewelry.
There are 605 stalls and pavilions at the fair, and 52 foreign companies from 22 countries are participating.
Hatil, Navana, Partex, Nadia, Akhter, and Delta are the notable furniture giants that are participating at the fair. Their pavilions are almost ready.
Of the electronics and electrical sector, Electro Mart Limited, Walton, Rangs, Samsung, and LG-Butterfly's stalls were ready from the very first day of the fair.
Though their construction work is steadily going on, Akij Food and Beverages, Mr Noodles, and Sajeeb Corporation have doubts about completing the stalls by Friday.
Abdur Rahman, an electrician for Sajeeb Corporation said: “We are working hard but we could not finish our construction in due time. We need some more time. It may take 1-3 more days to complete.”
Most pavilions selling foreign products are ready.
Pavilions for India, South Korea, and Turkey are almost complete.
A good number of visitors were seen taking selfies in front of large pavilions, while many were wandering inside the fair premises.
“We are not buyers, but visitors,” Razia, a private university student from the city’s Uttara area said.
“Good environment prevails here for hangout and selfies with near and dear ones.”
The fair will have two children's playing zones, two digital experience centers, three e-ticket booths, one audio visual center, five banks and ATM booths, one information center, five dormitories, and one primary healthcare center.
The fair will be open to visitors from 9am to 10pm. The entry fee for adults is Tk30 and Tk20 for minors. This year, tickets will also be sold online via DITF's website.
Usually, the DITF starts on the first of January but this year it was delayed due to the 11th parliamentary election held on December 30, last year.