DHAKA, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The 25th version of the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF), the biggest annual event in Bangladesh, began here on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the month-long fair at a ceremony in Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC), also known as the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka.
A total of 483 stalls including 112 pavilions and 128 mini pavilions have been set up this year in the fair which is usually thronged by tens of thousands of people every day.
Hundreds of organizations of Bangladesh and 21 foreign countries, including Australia, China, the United States, India, South Korea, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, Italy and Thailand are taking part in the fair.
Hasina announced Light Engineering a "thrust sector" of the year and stressed the need for more local and foreign investment for further development of the industry in order to boost income from exporting Light Engineering products like bicycle, motor cycle, auto parts, electric and electronic items.
Export order value from last year's fair for Bangladeshi companies amounted to nearly 20 million U.S. dollars.
The exhibition, which covers a floor area of some 1.25 million square feet, showcases a wide range of local and foreign products, including machinery, equipment and materials for agriculture and gardening, carpet, chemical and allied products, cosmetics, dairy products and electronic items.
