Youths at DITF
Sheikh Iraj
The month-long Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) 2018 has just crossed its halfway mark. The main idea behind this annual fair, which has been held for the past 23 years, is to provide local and foreign manufacturers a platform to showcase their products. Alongside popular business houses, many youths get the opportunity to promote their products as well. For many students, the fair offers a chance to earn a good amount of money working as salespersons or volunteers, and gather hands-on experience of the business world.
Moreover, in addition to being a centre for commerce, DITF has become a popular place for families to visit and friends to hang out at the fair venue in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Besides shopping, this years fair has a number of other attractions for visitors, like two amusement parks for children, Sundarban eco-park, Bangabandhu pavilion, a selfie zone for taking photos, and a number of restaurants. Organised by the Export Promotion Bureau in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, the fair started on January 1 and will continue until January 31.
Abdullah Al Mamun, 28, a private service holder, was visiting the fair with his friends. I work in Chittagong. I am in Dhaka for my winter vacation. I was born and raised in Dhaka, so all my friends are here. Last year, I was not able to visit DITF, so my friends thought it would be fun to have a get-together here this year. Many of my friends are working now, and we hardly get to meet each other once a year. I must say, this years fair has a lot to offer the visitors, like the eco-park, which has been built on the theme of the Sundarbans. There are good seating arrangements throughout the fair and food prices at the restaurants arent that high, Mamun told this correspondent.
Tiya Khanum, 29, a student at Jagannath University, was taking pictures with her family at the selfie zone. Every year, I visit the trade fair. No matter what, in January, if I am in Dhaka, I visit the fair three to four times. This year, I have come with my family members. Two of my young nephews have come with us, and they were getting really bored with all the shopping. So, we took them to one of the amusement parks, named Sarika Fantasy Park. It had different rides for children and adults, like magic board, wonder wheel, honey swing, train ride and so on. Along with my nephews, we all enjoyed the rides and the ticket prices were very reasonable. We also went for a bite to eat and the snacks were great at the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation food stall. The prices of the snacks were displayed at the counter, so we knew the exact amount to pay when we ordered. Over the years, there have been allegations that some restaurants overcharge at the fair, but this year we didnt see or hear anything like that. Another interesting thing was that by showing receipts from the food stalls, one can see the March 7 speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the 3D mobile hall, Khanum said.
For many students, the fair provides the opportunity to earn some money through part-time work. Robiul Hossain, 18, a volunteer at Help the People Foundation, said: This is the first time I am working at DITF as a volunteer. I am a student of Dhaka University. Help the People Foundation is basically collecting funds for sick children who need money urgently for their treatment. Right now, we are collecting money for four children and all of them are fighting for their lives. I came to volunteer here as I believe I am working for a good cause. We have received a positive response, but the more funds we can raise, the better. I would like to urge all visitors to donate whatever amount they can for this good cause.
At the fair, from the large business houses to small ones, everyone hires students to help out in their pavilions and stalls. Shopna Ahmed, 25, a salesperson at Fashion Jewellery said: I have been working at this fair for the past couple of years now. We sell different types of jewellery imported from China and Korea. So far, we have received very good feedback from visitors, especially from the youth group. I study at Titumir College. I am happy with the pay and I get sales commission as well. I am thankful to my teachers for allowing me to work here.
M Mainuddin, 21, a student at Jahangirnagar University, was working at a stall called Gift and Premium. He said: Some of my friends and I are working here on Fridays and Saturdays. We basically sell different types of household items. This is the first time I am working at DITF, but I have the experience of working in other fairs. We choose to work on the weekends because we dont have classes then. I am satisfied with my pay. The owner of this company is a graduate of our university. He asked us to work for him. Besides us, he has hired some other students as well. They will be here for the entire month and they will earn about Taka 20,000 for their work.
The number of young entrepreneurs who have actually set up stalls at the fair is only a handful. That being said, it is not stopping them from showcasing their products in collaboration with others. Belayet Hossain, 23, is one of them. It takes Taka 300,000 (3 lakh) to book a stall and it can be too risky for young entrepreneurs like me. That is why I am working at the stall my aunt got in this fair. Besides selling her products, I am also trying to promote my own brand, named Rupoj. My clothing line is only for girls. Hopefully, if I am able to save enough money, I will hire my own stall in the next fair, he said.
Delwar Hossain, 26, is the owner of a fast food restaurant, called Babar Dua Fast Food. This is the first time he has booked a stall at the fair: In our restaurant, we are offering different kinds of fast food and popular local dishes. After completing my HSC (high secondary certificate), I got involve in the food business. In the first few years, I tried to learn the trade and this year, I finally got a stall at DITF. In the first 10 days, we were not able to make any profit. I am hopeful that in the last 10 days of the fair, more people will visit and I might reach a breakeven point.
Regarding the overall organisation of the fair, Sharmin Sultana, 27, a visitor, said: So far, it seems the organisers are doing a great job. This year, security arrangements look good and the stalls are not promoting their products at high volume. There used to be dust and garbage lying all over the fair ground, but this year it looks like the authorities have these things under control. I am going to window shop for now, but I think I will revisit the fair before it ends.
This time, the organisers have introduced new elements to make peoples fair experience smoother. For example, there is a digital map of the fair to help visitors find their favourite pavilions and special allocation of stalls for women entrepreneurs.
This year, we have taken a number of new steps to make sure the visitors have a safe and good time at the fair. Every year, we allocate a certain number of stalls for women entrepreneurs and this year was no different. The only difference is this time we met with all the women in person to make sure of their identity. However, until now, we have not taken any particular step to encourage young entrepreneurs to participate in the fair. Its a crucial point and I will mention the issue at our next fair meeting, Avijit Chowdhury, Member Secretary of DITF, told YI.
From the entrance gate to the food halls, we have tried to come up with something new for the visitors. We have made the main entrance gate based on the theme of Padma Bridge and its surrounding locality. We have built a model eco-park of the Sundarbans, we have given more space to the Bangabandhu Pavilion. We organised a meeting with the restaurant owners and asked them to decide on the prices of their dishes and display those. I believe this has assured the visitors, Chowdhury added.
Photos: Nazmul Islam
