BATEXPO '07 starts today

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FE Report
The 18th Bangladesh Apparel and Textile Exposition (BATEXPO)-2007, an annual event for exhibition of the country's readymade garments (RMG), kicks off in the city today (Thursday) to attract overseas buyers.
President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury (Parvez) said this at a press conference Wednesday.
He said holding of such fair will attract foreign buyers and is important for remaining competitive in the world markets.
Chief Adviser (CA) of the caretaker government Fakhruddin Ahmed is scheduled to inaugurate the fair at the city's Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel as the chief guest. The fair will continue until November 17 next.
The BGMEA has been organising such mega exposition since 1989 with a view to promoting the local domestic RMG products, sources said.
He said a total of 82 local and international companies will participate in the event to showcase their products and services.
"I am hopeful that a huge number of local and international buyers will come to attend the three-day international fair for placing buy orders of local quality garment products," he said.
Industry insiders are hopeful that the garment sector, which accounts for more than 76 per cent of the country's total export earnings, will be greatly benefited from such gathering.
Market specialists said the declining trend in export of RMG products is a result of two spells of labour unrest and political turmoil.
The BGMEA president said the country has a target of exporting RMG products worth US$15.0 billion by the next three years.
In fiscal 2006-07, the export earning from the RMG sector was worth US$9.2 billion, he said.