A five-day National SME Fair-2018 began in the city on Wednesday amid expectations that it will give a boost to the growth of small and medium enterprises in the country.
The sixth edition of the fair would create an avenue for the stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, financial institutions and government agencies, to exchange ideas and share experiences, said organisers and participants.
After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the exposition at Bangabandhu International Conference Cente (BICC) as the chief guest, visitors were seen entering the venue and looking for their desired products and services.
About 292 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), more than 68 per cent of them run by women, are taking part in the fair this year, jointly organised by SME Foundation and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
Entrepreneurs from various sectors, including agro-product, jute, leather, fashion, processed food, handicrafts, light engineering and information technology (IT), have displayed a wide array of products.
Various financial institutions are also promoting their offers for SMEs at the fair.
Many women entrepreneurs joined the fair with various products like attire, processed food, pickles, handicrafts and decorative items.
One of them is Salma Begum who joined the expo for the first time. She has displayed boutique dresses, including Salwar-Kamiz, Sharee, Lehenga, Panjabi and Nakshi Katha.
"Although I have been running a small boutique house in the city's Banasree area for more than a decade, I am taking part in a national fair like this for the first time," she said.
She said she came to know about the fair at a training programme organised by the SME Foundation.
"I think the fair will help boost my business, since thousands of customers are expected to visit it in five days," she said.
The woman entrepreneur also said she runs her business with the help of 50 other women in Gazipur.
Like her, many other businesswomen from various districts are participating in the fair.
Farida Yasmin, another small business owner, joined the trade fair from Rangpur, where she runs Ranita Shataranji Project.
"I also took part in the fair last year, when I sold Shataranjis worth over Tk 85,000," she said, adding: "I expect to achieve more success this year as many customers known to me have been calling me over the phone for more products."
An SME loan of Tk 0.1 million from a private commercial bank has helped boost her business recently, she said.
"At present, 15 women in Rangpur are working under my supervision to produce Shataranji," she said.
Shahjahan Majumdar, a gift shop owner in the city's Mirpur area, was looking for decorative items at various stalls.
He said the fair gives him a good opportunity to collect unique gift items.
"The fair is a great opportunity, since entrepreneurs from different parts of the country showcase their products under one roof," he said.
According to the organisers, the fair will remain open for the visitors from 10.00am to 8.00pm daily and there is no entry fee.
A seminar on 'Relevance of factoring for financing small and medium enterprises' will also be held at the venue, a SME Foundation statement said.
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