DITF could perform better

The delayed start of the annual trade and commerce event Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) slated to be on January 21 instead of the New Year's Day is hardly going to make much of a difference in the life of the citizens of the capital, least of all to that of the rest of the nation. It is because the fair with an international tag has hardly lived up to that soubriquet. A trade fair of international order is one that draws quite large number international entrepreneurs, companies and buyers alongside the local manufacturers and traders together in order to explore and initialise sourcing and collaborative ventures. How much this purpose has been served over the years since the DITF's introduction in 1995 is unclear. With the venue shifted to its new site in Purbachal, even the presence of local retail customers has declined.

This year will be no exception to the fall in the number of visitors to the trade fair. The number one disincentive will be the wintry chill and then the middle class which forms the major part of the visitors to the event, has experienced a drastic income erosion and is hardly left with the extra money to spare for what has turned out to be a luxury beyond the basic needs. Although arrangement of special BRTC (Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation) buses between designated city hubs and the fair venue has been made for the convenience of visitors, there is no guarantee the crowd will feel particularly tempted to visit the place for this reason. When an international trade fair depends on retail customers for its success, it is frustrating. If local and foreign factories, manufacturers and industries had taken full advantage of showcasing their products for export and import orders and also inked collaborative ventures of products as part of transfer of technology for mutual gains between them, only then could the DITF script a success story.

By the look of it, this year's event is not going to be any different from its predecessors. But here was an ample opportunity to reshape the core content of the DITF, particularly against the backdrop of a slump in industrial production and business. Bangladesh has to seize every opportunity that comes its way and also invent opportunities to advance its economic interests. The private sector in particular has to take the lead in this regard because there are more areas than just the readymade garment (RMG), where the country's cheap labour and other favourable conditions can prove lucrative for foreign investment and joint ventures.

There are hardly any better occasion than the DITF to host a large number of companies in diverse fields at the same venue and same time. Unfortunately, such an event has to be planned immediately after the conclusion of one at the outset of the year. Clearly, no such comprehensive plan for a grand commercial get-together is devised. That the government has gone through a transition is no excuse for not planning for such an august gathering. A tradition had to be created for addition of new ideas and breakthroughs in business deals in order to make the economy vibrant.