At a press conference in a Dhaka hotel, they demanded that fairs, including DITF, must not extend beyond seven days.
“DITF originally started to draw international attention towards Bangladeshi products but it has turned into a showcase of low-grade products,” BSOA Chairman Helal Uddin claimed.
He said the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), seeking to make profits, turned the fair into a trade joint for local manufacturers. “This approach has made international companies lose interest in DITF,” he said.
“A fair of this scale hurts the business of almost half a million shops in the city, causing an estimated financial damage of Tk 2,500 crores,” Helal claimed, noting that discounts on various products at DITF forces dealers outside the fair to sell goods at cheap prices.
BSOA warned that they would launch demonstrations if their demands are not met.