The SME Fair-2011, the fifth version of the event, begins in the city on Tuesday, aiming to uphold the potentials of the sector.

The theme of this year’s five -day fair is: ‘SME and the Nation Growing Together’.

The first SME fair was held in 2002 while the second in 2005, the third in 2006 and the fourth in 2009. The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) is hosting the event to be held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city from December 20-24.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the fair while President Zillur Rahman hand over the SME awards to entrepreneurs, a senior FBCCI official confirmed on Monday.

FBCCI president AK Azad, first vice president and convener of the fair committee M Jashim Uddin and vice president and fair committee co-convener Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu will also attend the inaugural session of the fair.

There will be 131 stalls and 19 pavilions for entrepreneurs, banks, insurance and Financial Institutions (FIs).

Plastic, furniture, steel furniture, textiles, handicrafts, jute products, electric cable, generator, foods, ceramic, and engineering, leather and leather goods will be displayed in the event apart from highlighting the country’s tourism sector.

Three SME awards will be given in two categories - Small and Cottage Industries and Medium Enterprises.
Meanwhile, another award, best SME Facilitator, will be given for outstanding role in SME development.

Besides, three seminars - Infrastructure Development and Sectoral Zones for SMEs in Bangladesh, Women Entrepreneurs in SMEs: Bangladesh Perspective and Access to Finance and Technological Up-gradation for SMEs: Bangladesh Perspective - will be held on the sidelines of the fair.

The fair will remain open from 10am to 8pm till December 24. Sixty-four SME entrepreneurs’ organisations and 34 banks, insurances and financial institutions are taking part in the fair.

A six-member jury board comprising businessmen, journalists and researchers has been formed for the selection of SMEs for the awards. Media partners of the fair, the Daily Samakal and the Financial Express, will publish supplements on the opening day of the event.

The Daily Independent/ Bangladesh/ 20th Dec 2011