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Large crowds thronged the National SME Product Fair 2020 in the city on Friday, the third day of the expo, as nearly 300 entrepreneurs from across the country showcased their wares.
Various types of locally made products such as jute goods, agricultural, food and leather products, and electronics and electrical items have been put on display at the fair venue at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital.
The Small & Medium Enterprise Foundation (SME Foundation) has organised the eighth edition of the fair. The nine-day expo ending on March 13 will remain closed on Saturday.
Organisers as well as exhibitors expressed satisfaction as they received a good response from visitors and customers from home and abroad.
Both sales and orders are good, they said and expressed the hope that the remaining days would see uptick in business.
The organisers said the small and medium entrepreneurs should come up with more diversified products to increase their sales and orders as the people's taste and elegance are changing with the passage of time.
This fair is a platform to promote their products and widen their networks with the different kinds of people, they added.
A total of 296 entrepreneurs -- 195 women and 101 men -- have joined the fair and set up 309 stalls.
According to the SME Foundation, sales and orders stood at nearly Tk 169.31 million and Tk 301.21 million respectively in 2019.
Kamrul Islam, 49, a businessman, came to the fair to see different kinds of products.
He said he wants to buy earthen pots as they symbolise rural culture and tradition.
Some jute products are also the main attraction for him as they are environment-friendly, he added.
Expressing satisfaction with the responses from visitors and customers, Wasi, a staff of The Crafts Concept, said a wide array of eco-friendly jute products are available at his stall.
He also said there should be more publicity about the fair, as many people remained unaware of it.
Aysha Jesmin, owner of Soptoborna Academy, said her stall is showcasing different types of food items, including local traditional cake.
She said she was satisfied with both sales and orders but expected to see more buyers and visitors.
SME Foundation Managing Director Md Safiqul Islam said the diversification of products drew local and international customers to the fair.
The fair received a huge response from the customers, he told the FE.
The fair will remain open from 10:00am to 8:00pm daily. There will be no entry fee.