The ‘8th National SME Product Fair 2020’ kicked off in the city today with a view to promoting SME products and bringing the local small and medium entrepreneurs under a single square of roof.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the nine-day fair as the chief guest at a function at the Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh (KIB) Auditorium at Farmgate here this morning, the BSS reported.

Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun presided over the function, while Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Industries Ministry Amir Hossain Amu was present as the special guest.

Industries Secretary Md Abdul Halim and SME Foundation Chairperson KM Habibullah also spoke at the function while State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Mojumder was present on the dais.

Cabinet ministers, PM’s advisers, parliament members, foreign diplomats, representatives of the international organisations in Dhaka, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and high civil and military officials were also present on the occasion.

SME Foundation is organising the fair at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital.

At the function, the prime minister handed over the “National SME Entrepreneurs Award-2020” among two female and three male entrepreneurs.

Each winner received Taka 100,000, a trophy and a certificate.

A total of 296 SME entrepreneurs, including 195 women, will display their products, including jute, agriculture and leather goods, electrics and electrical items, light engineering products, handicrafts and plastic and synthetics items in the fair, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun told a press conference on Monday.

No foreign products will be allowed in the fair, he added.

Five seminars on the promotion of SME entrepreneurs and SME products will be organised during the fair.

The titles of the seminars at the fair are ‘Light Engineering Product Year 2020’, ‘Participation of SME Women Entrepreneurs in Export: Challenges and Potentialities’, ‘Role of SMEs in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in

Bangladesh,’ ‘Expansion of SME Product Marketing through Using Online Platform,’ and ‘Digital Finance for SMEs’.

The fair will remain open from 10 am to 8 pm for visitors and there will be no entry fee.