Int'l Trade Fair attracts huge visitors

A colourful fountain is one of the main attractions for the visitors at the Chittagong International Trade Fair at Polo ground in the port city while visitors crowd an Iranian stall, top right, and a Thai stall, bottom right. PHOTO: STAR

Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCCI) organised the month long fair with a view to promoting local products and creating new markets abroad.

"Though the fair could not draw visitors up to our expectation for the first few days after the inauguration on February 14, the crowd is now quite satisfactory," said Ershad Ullah, chairman of the fair committee.

"At least seven to eight lakh visitors turned up at the fair until Saturday, 19th day into the fair," he said.

A total of 330 stalls and 29 pavilions are participating in the fair this year.

The pavilions are categorised with different titles such as Premier Gold, Premier, Standard Mini Mega, Premier Mini and Mini Pavilion.

Thailand is participating as the partner country for the fourth consecutive year and having 53 stalls of arrays of different Thai products in special Thai Zone.

An exclusive 'China Block' with several Chinese stalls and a 'Pakistani Pavilion' with Pakistani stalls have also been built in the fair.

Besides, business farms from the United States of America, India, Iran and New Zealand are also participating in the fair displaying their products.

The business farms from home and abroad showcased wide range of products, including handicrafts, computer and computer accessories, consumer products, food items, home appliances, garments, leather goods, garments made by the tribals, electronic cables, electronics, ceramics, aluminium, jute products, herbal medicine, silk goods, building materials, marble and tiles, transformer, wooden and steel furniture, plastic goods, utensils and cosmetics in the fair.

Mohammed Mohsin, a student, said, "I visited the fair several times and price of the items at the fair is reasonable compared to markets."

"The stalls at the fair offer us goods directly from the foreign producers and sometimes at a discount rate," he added.

Rabi Uddin Mahmud, an employee of the Little Furniture Private Limited, is happy as the number of visitors is increasing everyday.

"We have already received orders for our products of Tk 2 lakh," he said.

The New Zealand Dairy is selling their powdered milk of popular brands Anchor and Red Cow, as well as other products at a retail price at the fair.

"We have sold powdered milk of over Tk 2.50 lakh until Thursday," said Zakir Hossain - an executive of the New Zealand Dairy.

While visiting the fair with his family Mohammed Jamil Uddin, a government official, was disturbed to see the used disposable cans and packets littering the fair premises.

"In an international fair the authorities are expected to take care of everything to bring in a good impression from the participants and the visitors, particularly those from abroad," he said.

Several stall owners said they are facing problems in bringing their products, as unlike previous occasions, the labourers are not allowed inside the fair premises without tickets.

"I cannot bring even our high officials in my stall without ticket," said an employee of a new telephone operator on condition of anonymity.

Besides,"We are facing power crisis, which causes sufferings to the visitors putting them into embarrassing situation," he said.

Ershad Ullah said negligence of the sweepers might have caused inconvenience for some times immediately after the inauguration of the fair and we have instantly taken measures to address it.

He dismissed the allegation of charging ticket fares from those carrying goods for the stalls saying no complaint is reported to the committee in this regard so far while the initial crisis of power is already solved.