Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury will inaugurate the fifth edition of the fair at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.

Indian State Minister for Commerce and Industry S Mookherjee and Bangladesh Commerce Ministry Advisor Barkat Ullah Bulu, Saarc Secretary General QAMA Rahim and Bangladesh Commerce Secretary Suhel Ahmed will attend the inaugural ceremony.

Excepting the Maldives, all other Saarc countries will take part in the show to display a wide range of products and services available.

"The fair will provide a unique scope for the South Asian nations to explore their export opportunities in other countries in the region," Mahmud Reza Khan, director (information) of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), told The Daily Star.

According to available statistics, the share of Saarc countries in global trade is only 3.4 per cent, which is very much lower than that of other regional blocs like Association for Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and EU.

According to Khan, Indian companies will showcase engineering items, auto parts, pneumatic and hydraulic components, pharmaceutical, packaging, battery separators, iron and steel items, industrial products, stone items, woolen items, handlooms, sarees, textiles, handicrafts and food items.

A total of 10 companies from Sri Lanka will participate in the show to exhibit chemical products, agricultural items, sports goods, tires, three wheeler, herbal products, footwear, coconut oil, water pumps, chocolates and confectioneries.

Some 10 Bhutanese companies will display agro-products, woodcrafts, fruits, seeds, herbal medicine and hardboards.

Pakistani enterprises will showcase handicrafts, furniture, textile fabrics, bed sheets, herbal products, prayer mats, spices, pickles, table and trolley sets, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, handicrafts, leather goods and sports items.

Companies from Nepal will exhibit pashmina (fur) products, wooden crafts, handmade paper products, textile items, cotton bags, handicrafts, herbal tea and betel-nuts at the fair.

Some 20 Indian companies have also confirmed their participation at the exposition.

A good number of leading Bangladeshi companies will take part in the event, Khan said.

According to the EPB, Bangladesh exported goods worth $1.44 million to Bhutan, $84.07 million to India, $0.36 million to Nepal, $31.5 million to Pakistan and $3.75 million to Sri Lanka in 2002-03 fiscal year.

On the other hand, Bangladesh imported goods valued at $3.8 million from Bhutan, $1001 million from India, $3.3 million from Nepal, $66.66 million from Pakistan and $6.05 million from Sri Lanka the same year.