Dhaka Int’l Trade Fair begins on Jan 1

The month-long Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) will begin on January 1, 2026, bringing together local and international exhibitors.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus will inaugurate the 30th edition of the fair, which is being co-organised by the commerce ministry and the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre in Purbachal.

Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman shared the information at a press conference held at the venue yesterday.

According to the fair's layout plan, a total of 324 pavilions, stalls and restaurants of different categories have been allocated with full transparency to domestic producer-exporter organisations, general business establishments and foreign companies, Rahman said.

A wide range of local products will be showcased at the fair, including textiles, machinery, carpets, cosmetics and beauty aids, electrical and electronic items, furniture, jute and jute products, household goods, and leather and artificial leather products, including footwear, he said.

The use of polythene bags and single-use plastics has been banned at this year's fair, Rahman said. As an alternative, environmentally friendly shopping bags will be supplied at subsidised prices through the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, he added.

Besides Bangladesh, 11 companies from six countries -- India, Turkey, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Malaysia -- are participating in this year's fair. Last year, 343 companies took part.

Visitors will need to buy tickets priced at Tk 50 to enter the fair.

In order to ease transportation to the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre in Purbachal, around 200 buses will operate during the fair. In addition, ride-sharing services will offer special discounted fares for visitors.

Explaining the reduction in the number of stalls this year, Rahman said the floor price was set slightly higher than last year. "The increase was marginal, not significant. However, bidding has intensified, and bid values have risen, which is expected to result in higher revenue for the EPB," he said.

At the press conference, EPB Vice Chairman Mohammad Hasan Arif said the number of allocated spaces was reduced to 324 under the revised layout plan, based on lessons learned from last year's experience.

"This adjustment was made to improve the overall organisation of the fair and to ensure enough space for visitors' movement, seating and other necessary facilities," he added.

The Dhaka International Trade Fair has been organised since 1995 to promote, expand and market domestic products, support industrial production and create employment opportunities.