In just four days, the curtain will come down on the 28th edition of Dhaka International Trade Fair, being held at Purbachal's Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre.
The Ministry of Commerce and Export Promotion Bureau have already completed all preparations for the closing ceremony.
However, due to the late start of this year's trade fair on 21 January and several complications, the arrival of buyers and visitors has decreased, leaving traders worried about potential losses.
Salauddin, the manager of pavilion of Noha Electronics, said, "Previously, we were happy every year at the end of the fairs held in Agargaon. But at the new location here, we could not sell 30% of what we expected."
He said people feel reluctant to come to the new venue from afar due to inconvenience in the transport system.
"Given the sales we have made so far, if we can meet the shop rent, the Tk10 lakh spent on staff will result in a loss," Salauddin added.
Azizul Islam, owner of Raihan Fashion, said, "We sell winter blazers. Due to the late start of the fair this time, the sales of winter clothes have declined. We could not cover the shop rent of Tk16 lakh."
Md Shahin, from Exclusive Home Tex Industries Ltd, said, "We will incur losses this time. If the authorities extend the duration of the fair, maybe we can manage a little profit."
Visiting the fair on Friday (16 February), it was seen that despite being the final days of the fair and a holiday, there were not many visitors in the morning.
By afternoon, the number of visitors had increased slightly, but the number of shoppers among them remained low.
Most visitors have been seen to be more interested in taking pictures than in shopping.
When asked why they were not interested in purchasing products, some visitors expressed concerns about the cost of transporting heavy products back home.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce and the Export Promotion Bureau have finalised all preparations for the closing ceremony of the trade fair on 20 February.
Invitations have already been issued to the stalls.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Tapan Kanti Ghosh, stated that the Minister of State for Commerce will be present at the closing ceremony.
