6-day furniture fair opens in Chattogram

A six-day furniture fair kicked off at GEC Convention Centre in Chattogram city yesterday featuring products of 27 enterprises, including New Antique, Heaven Furniture, Shoilpik, Hatil, Hatim, Vegas, P2P, JMG, Akhi and Royel and Right.

Mahabubul Alam, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), inaugurated the 13th edition of the fair, organised by Bangladesh Furniture Industries Owners Association.

The fair is open to visitors from 10:00am to 09:00pm, with entry tickets costing Tk 20.

"I am here to buy a dining table and a bed for my family," visitor Amin Mahmud told The Daily Star.

"Here I have seen dining tables and beds of various companies between Tk 40,000 to Tk 3 lakh…(My) plan (is) to buy two items within one lakh," he said.

There is a discount of 10 percent to 25 percent at the fair, which is not available at the showrooms. "So, I came here," he added.

"Furniture designs are constantly changing with time. Taking into consideration the current trends, the country is producing furniture of exceptional quality and visually pleasing designs," said Abdus Salam Shanto, manager of New Antique Furniture.

"We have brought all our best products on the occasion of the fair. All kinds of furniture are displayed considering customers' demand," he said

"A large furniture market has developed in the country in the last two decades. Now we should look at exports. This sector can play a major role in earning foreign exchange," he said.

"All companies constantly introduce new designs with the aim of attracting customers' interest. This trend leads to a competitive environment among them," said Selim H Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Furniture Industries Owners Association.

A significant portion of the raw materials required for furniture production need to be imported and unfortunately these materials are subject to high taxes, he said.

Customers will be able to purchase furniture at 20 percent to 30 percent lower prices if the government permits tax-free import of the raw materials, he added.