DITF to end on February 4
Huge crowd brings brisk business
Sharif Ahmed
The ongoing month-long Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) at Agargaon in the capital is witnessing huge crowd buying more local products compared to foreign ones.
Director General of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) A.F.M Manzur Kadir told the independent that local brands have been dominating since the inception of the fair and some Bangladeshi companies have received export orders across the globe. This fair is a platform for foreign buyers to familiarise with Bangladeshi goods, he suggested.
Meanwhile,Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told journalists after a meeting of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) that the DITF fair will continue for four more days till February 4, to meet the demand of the traders.
Local brands like- PRAN Foods Ltd, Akij Food and Beverage Ltd, Nadia Furniture Ltd, Walton group have received export orders during the fair.
According to EPB sources, this trade fair is not only to showcase their product, but to make an effective platform for entering into foreign markets.
PRAN Foods Ltd has been exporting their products since 1991, so 300 million consumers in 132 countries including Bangladesh have been consuming PRANs products.
PRAN has already managed to grab spot orders from Dubai and India from the ongoing DITF, said Riyadul Islam Riyad, brand manager of Natore Agro Ltd, a sister concern of PRAN Group.
When asked about business in the fair, Riyadul said that PRAN has been doing better business this year compared to the last years DITF.
He thinks PRAN will get 20 to 30 per cent more sale by the end of DITF.
A new product, Cup noodles has been introduced by the PRAN for the first time during this fair with an affordable price of Tk 25 and the response has been tremendous from the consumers so far, Riyadul Islam informed.
According to PRAN officials, approximately 400 products have been showcased by PRAN in this fair.
EPB sources said that there is a huge opportunity in the furniture export market as the government is offering 15 per cent tax incentive on furniture export. Hedayetullah, sales manager of a local furniture brand Nadia, has said that Russian and Malaysian buyers have liked their products and already talked to them regarding placing orders.
Unique design, studio furniture and office furnituresolution are the reasons behind the interest of foreign buyers in their products, Hedayetullah added.
Local electronic and home appliance manufacturing brand Walton has managed to bag export orders from countries like South Korea and Taiwan.
Shafiqul Alam, incharge of Walton pavilion, told this correspondent that LED television has been selling like hotcake.
Taiwan has already started legal procedures to import LED television from us, informed Shafiqul Alam.
He also said that Walton has brought some exclusive products in this fair including laptop, mobile phone and eco-friendly LED lights.
Some local brands have different point of views and they want to meet the local targets first, export abroad has been the second option for them.
Event Manager of Akij Food and Beverage Ltd Azam Bin Tareq has told The Independent that Akij exports their products to around 25 countries and Mojo soft drink has been their most popular item.
