Rajshahi SME fair starts today

Following the 10th edition of the National SME Product Fair last year, six SME fairs will be held in different divisions across the country this year.

The first divisional SME fair will start in Rajshahi today and continue till 18 January.

Sixty small and medium entrepreneurs will display and sell their products at the fair held in Green Plaza on Rajshahi City Mayor's office premises.

The exposition will be open for visitors daily from 10 am to 9 pm.

Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman (Liton) will be present as the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of the fair.

SME Foundation Chairperson Prof Dr Md Masudur Rahman will preside over the event where Md Abdul Baten, deputy inspector general of Rajshahi Range, Md Anisur Rahman, commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, Abdul Jalil, deputy commissioner of Rajshahi, and Masudur Rahman Rinku, president of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will be special guests. Mofizur Rahman, managing director of SME Foundation, will deliver the welcome speech on the occasion.

A seminar titled "What to do for the development of the SME sector in Rajshahi Division" will be held at 3:30 pm on 15 January at the fair premises.

A programme called "Discussion on loans for SME entrepreneurs and connecting with bankers" will be held at the fair premises at 3:30 pm on 17 January.

In the evening of 18 January, the closing ceremony of the fair will be held where the best stall will be recognised and certificates will be handed over to the participants of the fair.

There will also be cultural programmes every day during the fair.

In addition, initiatives have been taken to organise divisional SME product fairs in Barishal on 7 February, Sylhet on 11 February and Dinajpur in Rangpur division on 12 February, said the SME Foundation.

The SME Foundation said there is a plan to organise a SME fairs in Mymensingh and Khulna in March 2023.