The exhibition, the first of its kind, is expected to draw a large number of foreign buyers from the US, UK, France, Italy, Germany and Portugal.

"We are organising the fair mainly to familiarise international buyers with our knitwear products which have almost 75 percent value addition," said Fazlul Hoque, president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BKMEA).

"The fair will help increase our market share in the US market as the knit items hold tremendous potential in the post-MFA (multi-fibre arrangement) regime starting in January next year," he said.

The knitwear exhibition -- 'Knit Exposition 2004' -- to be organised under the aegis of BKMEA, will have 52 stalls where local knitwear and yarn manufacturers and four foreign yarn manufacturers -- three from India and one from Pakistan -- will display their products, said the BKMEA president.

A software development company will also participate in the exposition.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is scheduled to inaugurate the fair.

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Sheikh Hasina is expected to attend the concluding session of the fair.

A seminar on prospect of knitwear industry of Bangladesh will also be held on the first day of the fair.

The Bangladesh knitwear is a big player in the EU market, but its share in the US market is very small compared to woven products, he said.

In the last fiscal year, knitwear sector brought US$2.14 billion of which the US market contributed only $236.79 million, the BKMEA leader said.